BREAKING BREAD, BREAKING BARRIERS: Our Quarter Century Gala

Join us for a special evening as we celebrate 25 years of impact, resilience, and community at The Bread Project’s Quarter Century Gala. Enjoy an unforgettable night of live jazz at the historic Monroe Lounge, once home to jazz legends like Miles Davis and John Coltrane, while supporting our mission to break barriers to employment in the Bay Area.

For 25 years, The Bread Project has provided culinary job training and placement support to individuals facing barriers to employment—including formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrants, and refugees. Discrimination, unstable housing, inability to speak English fluently, or lack of a formal education or transferable skills all stand in the way of gainful employment. Through our programs, we empower participants to achieve economic self-sufficiency and create better futures for themselves and their families.

Your attendance and contributions directly support our core programs, which empower individuals facing barriers to employment:

🍞 Food Prep & Baking Job Training & Placement Program

• A 5-week, 150-hour intensive program providing hands-on culinary training
• Offered in person 9 times annually
• Equipping graduates with skills to secure stable, living wage employment in the food industry

🥣 Community Meals Program

• Meals prepared by our trainees to support the homeless and food-insecure populations
• Strengthening food security while providing valuable real-world experience

🚀 Entrepreneurs' Incubator Program

• Supporting 4–6 entrepreneurs annually, primarily Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned startups
• Providing production guidance and access to kitchen space during non-training hours

We are proud to recognize our honorees for their outstanding contributions to our mission and the community. Their support helps us break barriers and create opportunities for those who need it most.

Honorees Include:

• Outstanding Volunteer Award: Linda Maio

• Outstanding Donor Award: Wareham Development Corporation & Robbins Family Foundation
• Outstanding Incubator Award: Joyce Tang of BAKESUM

The Monroe Lounge occupies the same building as the legendary Jazz Workshop. The Jazz Workshop has seen performances from icons such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. During its heyday in the 1960s, it was the premier venue for live jazz in San Francisco. In addition to unforgettable performances, iconic live records from Cannonball Adderly, Thelonius Monk, and Charles Mingus were recorded at the Jazz Workshop. The building was given a historic plaque by the city in 2018 to commemorate not only its historical significance to the city, but also its importance to the jazz scene. The Monroe Lounge carries on that legacy, combining mod and Art Deco aesthetics with a modern flair in a beautiful space.

Get ready for an exciting and unique auction experience! From luxurious trips and specialty dinners to sports memorabilia and tickets to arts performances, there’s something for everyone. All proceeds will directly support our Food Prep & Baking Job Training & Placement Program, helping local residents overcome barriers to employment and start a new chapter in their lives.

Thomas Durein, our gifted auctioneer and longtime friend, will ensure the excitement and competitive spirit are in full swing—so get ready to open your pocketbooks for a good cause!

No Gala is complete without a delicious spread, and this one will not disappoint! We’re excited to offer a variety of tasty bites, prepared by our very own Bread Project Chef and students—showcasing the culinary skills honed through our training programs.

Expect a full no-host bar with wine, spirits, and non-alcholic beverages presented by the bartenders of the Monroe Lounge.

It’s a night of flavor, celebration, and community you won’t want to miss!

We are grateful to Equanimous Jones, a jazz combo featuring piano, bass, saxophone, and drums, for gracing us with their sounds and support. The core band members met while attending Stanford University, and have over 25 years of musical experiences together.

They bring a fresh, soulful, and energetic touch to traditional jazz and R&B standards, as well as spirited, innovative original compositions. The band swings, bops and improvises in a way that pays tribute to the masters and innovators of jazz.

This event would not be possible without the generous support of our lead Sponsor Kaiser Permanente. 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.

Host or Publisher The Bread Project