The Bread Project

The Bread Project The Bread Project has a vision for all reentry and justice-involved individuals to be able to contrib Laptops and internet service are provided.

During COVID, The Bread Project is providing a condensed, five-week intensive Food Prep & Baking Job Training & Placement Program teaching the fundamentals of commercial food prep and baking. The 150 hours of training combines hands-on and online instruction in the technical skills of baking and food prep, and the soft, essential life and job readiness skills. The training is free and supports per

sons in the Bay Area who face barriers to employment and are part of the reentry justice involved population. On completing the Program, graduates receive their Certificate of Completion, job placement assistance, and 12 months of follow up service and support, as well as lifetime access to our online training program.

Looking for a new recipe? Free. Hands-on. Life-changing?At The Bread Project, we believe everyone deserves a real chance...
05/12/2026

Looking for a new recipe?
Free. Hands-on. Life-changing?

At The Bread Project, we believe everyone deserves a real chance at meaningful work. That’s why our 5-week Food Prep & Baking Job Training & Placement Program teaches both technical skills in the kitchen and the soft skills needed outside it. It's the recipe for a real pathway to employment.

Whether you’re just starting out or starting over, we’re here to help you succeed.

New group starts June 8 and applications are open!
It takes just 5 minutes!

Go to www.breadproject.org to learn more.

04/16/2026

We are officially one week away from RISE: The Bread Project’s 26th Anniversary Gala & Auction.

The momentum is building, and we want you to be part of it! This evening is about more than just a celebration—it is our most important fundraising event of the year. Your attendance and participation provide critical support for The Bread Project's programs and participants.�
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Please register today to help us reach our goal and empower our community through opportunity.

04/09/2026

Two weeks to go!
Register now to join us for RISE: Our 36th Anniversary Gala & Auction.

🗓️ Wednesday, April 22
⌚ 6 - 9 pm
📍 The Hillside Club, Berkeley

For tickets you can go to the Eventbrite page at https://Rise gala.eventbrite.com

Hope to see you there!

Learning by doing.Our program participants practice to build real skills they can use on the job. It takes focus, patien...
03/31/2026

Learning by doing.

Our program participants practice to build real skills they can use on the job. It takes focus, patience, and repetition—but each step brings more confidence.

Through hands-on training, they’re preparing for work in bakeries and kitchens across the Bay Area.

Skill building. Job readiness. New opportunities.

Learn more about opportunities at The Bread Project at our website: www.breadproject.org

Behind every program participant, food entrepreneur, and community meal is a team dedicated to helping Bay Area resident...
03/27/2026

Behind every program participant, food entrepreneur, and community meal is a team dedicated to helping Bay Area residents thrive. Meet Usha, Lynn, Chef Alain, Rebecca, and Steven, the staff of The Bread Project.

They are deeply committed to helping our program participants, being a resource to our food entrepreneur incubators, and a committed partner to other organizations supporting food insecurity.

Visit www.breadproject.org/about-us to learn more.

The Bread Project provides free, five-week job training and placement in food prep and baking for Bay Area residents. 🥣✨...
03/12/2026

The Bread Project provides free, five-week job training and placement in food prep and baking for Bay Area residents. 🥣✨

Our 150-hour program is designed for low- to no-income individuals facing barriers to employment, including those who are justice-impacted, refugees, or immigrants. We provide the technical and professional skills needed to secure a living-wage job.

What you will learn:
🧑‍🍳 Kitchen Skills: Food prep and baking in a commercial kitchen.
👔 Job Skills: Workplace communication, readiness, and how to succeed on the job.

The Details:
📅 Schedule: Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 3:30 PM.
📍Berkeley
👥 Class Size: 10–14 participants for hands-on instruction.
💰 Cost: 100% Free for eligible residents.

This is your chance to build a new career.

​Next cohort starts March 23 and again on April 29. Must be 18+ to apply.

​🔗 See more information and apply at: www.breadproject.org

Mark your calendars! The Bread Project's annual gala is making its way home to East Bay this year, taking place at the b...
02/13/2026

Mark your calendars! The Bread Project's annual gala is making its way home to East Bay this year, taking place at the breathtaking .

Our theme this year, RISE, is a deliberate call to action. In these divisive times, we stand in solidarity with those fighting for inclusivity. For 26 years, we've been dedicated to creating pathways to living-wage jobs.

We offer free training to anyone (18+) from low- to no-income backgrounds, including justice-impacted individuals, refugees, immigrants, and those struggling with housing insecurity or disability.

This special evening is a celebration of our community and stories of perseverance, but it's also a crucial fundraiser to support our free baking and food prep training, as well as California ServSafe Food Handler certification.

Together, we RISE. 🙌🏻

You could be the one baking this cake (📷 see photo). Join our March 23 group. Apply now on our website (www.breadproject...
02/12/2026

You could be the one baking this cake (📷 see photo).
Join our March 23 group.
Apply now on our website (www.breadproject.org)

Our training program will give you the skills you need to succeed and prepare you to work in professional kitchens and bakeries.

You will learn:
🥧Baking
👩🏻‍🍳Cooking techniques such as roasting and braising
🥘Culinary math
🍞Safe food handling practices

That's not all! We help you prepare for the job—and the workplace—too! Things like resume writing, interviewing, goal setting and more!

This program is about more than baking and food prep.
It’s about building a future.

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—not only in words, but in action. Every day, The Bread Project’s staff, partn...
01/19/2026

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—not only in words, but in action. Every day, The Bread Project’s staff, partners, and community work to promote equity, belonging, fresh starts, and economic freedom across the East Bay and Greater Bay Area.

On January 1, 1963, Dr. King spoke in Oakland at a celebration marking the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. In that address, he shared ideas that would later shape his I Have a Dream message and announced support for a nationwide selective-buying campaign to boycott discriminatory companies. This strategy was part of early efforts of Operation Breadbasket, which challenged hiring discrimination in industries including the baking and food sector and encouraged communities to leverage their economic power for fair employment. By 1967, Breadbasket had negotiated jobs bringing $25 million a year in new income - empowering individuals, their families, and the community.

As a social enterprise, The Bread Project carries forward this spirit. Every day, we prepare people for sustainable, living-wage jobs with organizations that stand for equity, justice, and community. In doing so, we honor Dr. King’s vision of economic inclusion and dignity for all.

Wishing our current cohort, former graduates, our Food Entrepreneurs, staff, Board, community partners, and donors a ver...
01/01/2026

Wishing our current cohort, former graduates, our Food Entrepreneurs, staff, Board, community partners, and donors a very happy New Year. Thank you for making 2025 amazing.

Here's to 2026!

12/31/2025

2025 reminded us what's possible when people are given opportunity, support, and a real path forward.

This year, our community - staff, board members, partners, contributors and donors - helped participants build skills, confidence, and futures through hands-on culinary training, job readiness, and placement into living-wage jobs.

Every story here represents more than a program milestone. It represents hope, resilience, and the world we can create together.

Thank you to everyone who made this work possible.

We are ready for what's next. 💪🏻

We’re halfway to a $50,000 impact.Thanks to our community, $12,500 has already been raised—which puts us halfway to unlo...
12/30/2025

We’re halfway to a $50,000 impact.

Thanks to our community, $12,500 has already been raised—which puts us halfway to unlocking a $25,000 board match, for a total impact of $50,000.

This funding supports our 5-week Baking & Food Prep Job Training & Placement Program, which is free for low- to no-income Bay Area residents facing barriers to employment, including those who are justice-impacted, refugees, and immigrants.

Every dollar donated before December 31 is still matched dollar-for-dollar.

If you’ve been meaning to support this work—or are looking for a meaningful way to close out the year—this is a moment where your contribution truly doubles.

Link in Bio

Showing up. Practicing. Becoming.Every day in our kitchen is a step toward stability, living wages, and a fresh start.At...
12/30/2025

Showing up. Practicing. Becoming.

Every day in our kitchen is a step toward stability, living wages, and a fresh start.

At The Bread Project, we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to witness transformation in just five weeks. We’re proud to be part of the Bay Area community and look forward to continuing to serve individuals facing barriers to employment. Here’s to another 25 years—standing side by side with you.

12/23/2025

Making treats at TBP has been a dream! We've baked together, catered our 25th annual fundraiser, and shared our heritage & recipes on Student Choice days.

🙏🏻Now it's time to DOUGHNATE! Link in bio, and thanks for your support - $10 goes a long way! Our Board will double your donation! ✌🏻

12/22/2025

At TBP we also support job readiness and soft skills in our 🆓 Baking & Food Prep Job Training & Placement Program. Things like teaching how to write a resume, mock interviews, talking through communication and goal setting.

We are here to support not just second chances, but a new beginning and fresh foundation to help our participants launch into a new era.

Want to learn more about our programs?
Check out our website. 🧁Link in bio.

12/18/2025

New skills.
New chances.

At Bread Project we believe in second chances.

If you're 18+, low- to no-income, and in the Bay - apply to our free 5 week program.

Many of our trainees are:
🔵Justice impacted
🔵 Refugees and immigrants
🔵 Unhoused or experiencing housing insecurity
🔵 Living with Disability
🔵 Re-entering the workforce after hardship

Link in bio.

12/17/2025

Meet the Bread Project. Where second chances become new beginnings. Baking & Food Prep Training Job Placement A Community that cares. All for FREE. For low- to no-income Bay Area residents.

Learn more at: www.breadproject.org

A typical day at The Bread Project: participants arriving, tying aprons, reviewing recipes, and stepping into a professi...
12/11/2025

A typical day at The Bread Project: participants arriving, tying aprons, reviewing recipes, and stepping into a professional kitchen that was once out of reach.

Confidence builds here — one skill, one repetition, one pastry at a time.

Your December gift supports Bay Area residents who are ready for a fresh start, paving the way to living-wage jobs.

Every donation now to December 31 is matched dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 during our Giving Challenge. No gift is too small.

📌 Link in bio to give.

Address

1615 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA
94703

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 3pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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