Food always has a way of gathering people together, and oftentimes, uniting them as one – like family. This very concept is being used by local organizations, to feed mouths and ultimately to feed minds.

Bay Area Community Resources, in association with The Gathering, hosted “The Family Dinner” Thursday night at Chevy’s in Emeryville. From 6 to 10 p.m., 25 percent of the total purchase made by participating patrons went towards the fundraising of crucial resources needed by the Rudsdale After School Program in Oakland.

Proceeds from the event will go towards books, art supplies and general school supplies. Exciting new classes on the menu this year: cooking and video production.

“There’ve been several budget cuts,” said Rudsdale Assistant Principal Alessandra Cabrera. “We are hoping the community will help us as far as raising the funds to allow the opportunity for the students to earn the credits to graduate.”

Rudsdale ASP needs as much support as they can financially and, as is displayed through many of its staff members, through loyalty and dedication, as well.

Going on his fourth year at Rudsdale, student advocate/intervention specialist Laureate Gholar III described the school as “a diamond in the rough.” Through the ASP, the kids are able to meet their requirements, and also “allowed to pick activities they enjoy, and experience things they weren't able to before,” Gholar said.

A highlight of the after school program is the Going Green Project, which focuses on energy efficiency as well as parks and recreation. In one semester, the students involved in this project built an entire on-campus energy-efficient storage facility, which now holds all of the necessary equipment they need – hard hats, boots and a variety of tools and materials.

Another loyal advocate of the program is lead History teacher Dionne Embry. A staffer for three years, Embry said she is extremely passionate about the direction the ASP is going in, as well as about its students. Constantly stressing positivity and good works, Embry encourages the community to “visit Rudsdale, see the kids, see the art, get involved. After school programs are where it’s at.”

Gholar and Embry said they are both appreciative for increased visibility of the program, which is leading to additional resources and opportunities for the upcoming school year. They also both thank the efforts made by the new site coordinator for Rudsdale ASP, Amal Azziz.

“She really took the initiative to focus on the program in order to get the resources that these kids need,” Embry said. “She got it on KMEL (and) they announced it on the radio!”

From Jackson Ellis, who helped with promotions, to James Crow at the Grand Lake Coffee House, everyone united together for a common goal of feeding the minds at Rudsdale ASP.

(Pictured in photo: From left, Amal Azziz, ASP site coordinator; Betsy Edes, Rudsdale Program Manager; Daijha Teague, Embry’s daughter; Dionne Embry; lead History teacher at Rudsdale; and Paola Zuniga, Rudsdale Program Manager.)