2025 Cycle of Gratitude Fundraiser - December 6th
Dine in with us & forge unity through discussion!
Engage in critical conversations to enrich your perspectives and open your heart
Hear from Oakland youth and connect with fellow members of our amazing community
Enjoy delicious catered 3 course lunch from Jusla Catering’s Chef Christina “Lala” Harrison
ArtEsteem is dedicated to uplifting, inspiring, & empowering youth through art and creativity to express themselves, become critically aware and envision positive solutions for themselves and our communities.
In our current social, political, and economic realities, ArtEsteem’s healing arts work is especially vital.
“Oakland teens witness more violence, feel sadder than U.S. counterparts” from the San Francisco Chronicle (June 9, 2023) shares: “High school students in Oakland outpaced their peers in California and around the U.S. in one particularly distressing category: 36% of respondents — nearly 1,300 students — said they witnessed someone in their neighborhood get shot, stabbed or beaten.”
Arts for Life’s Sake, a September 2021 report by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and a testament to the power of arts learning for social and emotional development, states that “the arts facilitate personal and emotional growth by providing opportunities for students to reflect on who they are and who they want to be.”
Lunch from Chef Lala of Jusla Catering!
With over a dozen years of experience, Chef Christina “Lala” Harrison is a proud Black chef serving Oakland & the greater Bay Area through her self-made business, Jusla Catering. Her food is an expression of Black Heritage Cuisine with a California twist, focusing on historical African American experiences through food. Her flavorful dishes utilize ingredients from local farmers, prepared with love and positive energy to feed the mind, body, and soul.
When she’s not in the kitchen, Chef Lala works with local area youth and undeserved communities to teach important trade skills, because kitchens build character. She’s also a lover of her dogs, and the World Champion Golden State Warriors.
Chef Lala works hard to partner and share opportunities with fellow black entrepreneurs in the community. She partners with other small businesses around the Bay Area owned by Black women, showcasing talents and skill sets to make each experience special and give fellow Black women entrepreneurs opportunities to network and thrive.
We are proud to partner with Chef Lala, and are ecstatic for you all to join us in enjoying her cuisine!
NAVIGATION:
Our new property is located in the residential neighborhood of the Hoover Corridor at 3111 West Street.
Parking is limited to spaces on the surrounding streets. We recommend that you walk, bike, take public transportation, carpool, or rideshare to ease your arrival experience.