East Bay artists and businesses team up for a fundraiser to support immigrant services

Because the giving season begins, 2025 has confirmed to be a 12 months of numerous charities. This week, amid the longest federal shutdown in US history42 million individuals are with out SNAP advantages, together with 5.5 million in California. For a bunch of East Bay artists often called the No Crumbs Collective, who held a profitable fundraiser for youngsters in Gaza in 2024, selecting a charity to assist in 2025 felt daunting.

“After we checked out who we’d assist this 12 months, it was truthfully overwhelming. There’s a lot happening and there are such a lot of totally different individuals who might use the cash,” says Sharmini Subramaniam, one of many 4 core members of the No crumbs collectively. “However as we have been making an attempt to determine, rather a lot was occurring politically with immigrants and ICE. We needed to assist a neighborhood group that was doing the work to assist immigrants, and that is how we got here throughout Centro Authorized.”

Two years in the past artwork director Sharmini Subramaniamphotographer Melati Citrawirejameals stylist Madge Steinand model stylist Jenny Irene Sargent got here collectively to work on check shoots to construct out their lookbooks. Final 12 months the 4 artists reunited, however determined to make use of the shoots for a fundraising marketing campaign. They labored collectively on a “Puzzle for Palestine” that raised $4,000 for the Center East Youngsters’s Alliance (MECA), an emergency fund for Gaza. The 1,000-piece puzzle included corporations resembling Cafe Colucci, Good Luck Bakery, Edith’s Pie, Saint Flora Co. and Reculture Meals.

The group acknowledged that the puzzle was profitable as a result of it not solely raised cash for charity, but additionally highlighted small companies.

The collective put out a name within the spring asking for concepts for an organization situated in Oakland or the East Bay. The project was to make use of an authentic picture that may very well be interpreted in any artistic approach. Twenty folks (enterprise homeowners and other people from the picture trade) responded and needed to take part.

No Crumbs Collective will likely be a part of the Vacation Market at Hammerling Wines (1350 Fifth St., Berkeley) on Saturday, December 13 from 11am to 5pm. The occasion will function dishes from a number of the corporations featured on the calendar, together with Bolita Masa and Good Luck Bakery. There may also be a restricted variety of calendars and puzzles accessible for buy on the market.

“Over the previous 12 months, many people have felt the overwhelming sense of paralysis, the sensation of throwing up our arms and chucking up the sponge as a result of the world is crumbling and there’s nothing extra we will do,” Citrawireja mentioned. “This challenge is a drop within the bucket, however there’s something very particular about having the ability to carry the neighborhood collectively and having mild in darkish instances.”