The Bread Project

A good job at a livable wage is at the heart of the American dream — to have food on the table, a roof overhead, and the financial means to thrive! Our specialty is training low/no-income Californians in the skills needed to start a career in the food industry and land their first good job. Since 2000, we have supported more than 2,400 residents of the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area to remove barriers to employment, skill-up, and get hired. The results have been remarkable: 80-85% graduation rate, 80-85% job placement within 30-60 days, 80-85% job retention rate after 90 days, and an average salary on being hired of $24 an hour. Our primary focus is on immigrants, refugees, the formerly incarcerated, and others with barriers to employment. More than 90% are unemployed on enrollment and we prepare them for living-wage jobs and progressive careers in restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, cafeterias, catering firms, corporate food services, and healthcare facilities, or to take advanced training in entrepreneurship and starting their own businesses. In addition to our core job training and placement program — we prepare 25,000-35,000 meals annually for the homeless and food insecure and we mentor and coach entrepreneurs as they incubate and scale their food startups and small businesses.