Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Location: The Hillside Club, Berkeley | 2286 Cedar Street

We are bringing the celebration back to our roots.

For our 26th Anniversary, we will hold our Gala in Berkeley. While we have enjoyed expanding our circle of support and celebrating in San Francisco for the past several years, we will gather in the East Bay for this year’s Gala —right where our kitchen is, where our heart is, and where the majority of our participants from Oakland and Berkeley live and work.

Join us on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the historic Hillside Club in Berkeley for RISE—an evening of resilience, solidarity, and local community.

The Theme: Together, We RISE

In a time of significant uncertainty for many of our Bay Area neighbors, we are creating a space to stand in solidarity with those committed to economic mobility. For 26 years, The Bread Project has been a vital institution in the East Bay, transforming 2,600 lives through culinary training and job placement.

Honoring Our Champions

At the heart of our Together, We RISE theme is the belief that we cannot do this work alone. This year, we are proud to recognize a remarkable group of honorees who have championed our mission, strengthened the Bay Area community, and proven what is possible when we invest in one another. Join us in celebrating:

• Outstanding Donor Award – Firedoll Foundation / Faye & Sandor Straus
• Outstanding Partner Award – Berkeley Food Network
• Outstanding Graduate Award – Zeenah Haddad

An Evening of Local Flavor & Impact

From 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM, join supporters, community leaders, and program graduates for:

• Live Jazz in a stunning, historic Berkeley venue.
• Inspirational Stories from graduates who are building new futures in our community.
• Partner Recognition honoring those rising to the occasion to support The Bread Project.
• Live & Silent Auctions providing funding to empower the next generation of participants.

Why Your Support Matters

Through culinary job training and placement, The Bread Project equips individuals facing significant barriers to employment — including formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrants, and refugees — with pathways to economic self-sufficiency. This work happens here in our community, and your support makes it possible.

Your ticket directly supports:

• 🍞 Job Training: 150-hour intensive bootcamps that move people into living-wage jobs.
• 🥣 Food Security: Thousands of meals prepared by trainees for our unhoused neighbors.
• 🚀 Entrepreneurship: Incubation support for local BIPOC-owned food startups.

Special Thanks to Our Lead Sponsors

This event would not be possible without the generous support of our lead Sponsors Kaiser Permanente and the Alameda Alliance for Health. Their commitment to our cause over the years has been instrumental in helping us achieve our mission of empowering residents and giving back to the community. They know the importance of a living wage job and gainful employment to the overall physical and mental health of every individual and their families. We are grateful for their partnership and support.

Join us as we RISE together!

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Cannot attend this year? If you are unable to join us, please consider a contribution to The Bread Project.

Click the button below to give.