Friends of the Library was a great find. We were helping a friends brother clean out his mother in…read morelaws old Japanese books on various topics which totaled around 50+ books. Called numerous establishments but no one would take it. Finally called Friends of the Library and scheduled an appointment to drop everything off to their warehouse near Iwalei Costco. The warehouse was easy to access and the drop off was quick and simple.

Just left their pop-up at Ward today with 4 books! They'll be at Ward today and next weekend (Jan…read more21-22) . There's lots of selection, it's well organized, and with a smooth check out process. Prices are much more practical than Book-off! Found a couple gems of local cookbook finds that I doubt Pinterest would even have. Check them out and support your libraries (:

Community service followed by meditation on the beach. Awesome!!…read more I learned about Travel2Change through my UH cohort. As a second year grad student, this was my first offsite team building event that I attended. Travel2Change is a non-profit organization that offers various activities focused on sustainability and giving back to the Hawaiian culture on the islands of Kauai, Maui, and O'ahu. From a beach clean-up followed by a sunset yoga class, to a trek into the native forest to protect indigenous wildlife, there's an activity to fit your passions! Just visit their website to explore. On Saturday's from 10:30am to 12:00pm, Jonathan from Yoga Loves Mana hosts the beach clean-up and yoga. He provided the bags and gloves for the clean-up. In 15 minutes, we collected four bags of litter from the grassy area and shoreline between the Aquarium to the lifeguard house just beyond the barefoot beach cafe. This was a great way to give back, keep paradise beautiful, and to show others the spirit of Aloha Āina! After the clean-up, we did an hour of Vinyasa style yoga in the shaded grassy area underneath the swaying palm trees and were sprinkled with a little bit of rain every now and then (it felt really good!). Jonathan has 15 years of experience and his teaching skills were kind and gentle for a few of us beginners. He made it very clear that the session was about the spiritual energy you feel from your core and put back into the universe, known as "Mana", and to not worry if you're inexperienced. We all felt very comfortable and he did a wonderful job guiding us on breathing techniques and stretching throughout the hour. Check out their website to see what they offer. Let friends from out-of-state know how they can see Hawai'i from a different perspective or share this with your friends and family from the Island. I felt really great after the clean-up and mediation through yoga. I highly recommend it!

Sunset Yoga & Food Drive at Magic Island…read more I became aware of travel2change in one of my classes at the UH.The yoga at sunset was so beautiful and relaxing! A great experience! These are great opportunities to give back to the Hawaii community while having a great time. I would recommend for anyone to do one of these activities!

I dropped off 5 carloads of home goods, clothing, bedding, etc while downsizing my mom's condo to…read moremove her into a house with my sis and her fam. Helping Hands was so much closer to where we live compared to Salvation Army or Goodwill. I like that Helping Hands is truly a nonprofit organization because they don't sell your donated goods to the people who need them. People can come get the goods for free at helping hands. Staff were always very friendly and helpful with unloading my car. They are also very good about giving me the tax write off forms. (Salvation Army has you go to a website to get tax form and I couldn't even create an account successfully on the website. Kept getting error message.) Helping hands drop off times are Monday to Friday from 11 AM to 2 PM so the drop off window is pretty limited.

I have been working with this organization for over 20 years. They have been helping the community…read morefor the past 50 years! Amazing! I always refer my clients there to get free household goods such as bedding, pots and pans, dishes, etc. I always drop off my donations there. Every Christmas - they have Adopt A Family and I love seeing our clients get items they wouldn't be able to get for their family since it is so expensive living here in Hawaii. They also have the Ready To Learn program which gives students school supplies for the upcoming year. They have other programs so please donate any household items or give a monetary donation if you are able! Thank you Helping Hands Hawaii!

Ping pong memberships available and open play (non members) 7 days a week. $15/day for non-members…read more There is a private parking lot. The manager is very helpful. The other members were welcoming.

This is really a nice and friendly table tennis club with great members who are extremely…read morewelcoming. There are great players here at all levels so it's very easy to get some good practice or just get a good workout and have fun. The older reviews about a bald guy are referring to someone who is no longer running the club. The new management is great and is dedicated to keeping the club a great place to play. We will be going back every time we are in town.

I recently started volunteering here as a driver to deliver meals to the people in need. A lot of…read morethem are home bound without the ability to acquire food, or even if they're under the care of family, the meals provide some sort of time and monetary relief for everyone. Also, seniors can grab a meal at the cafeteria for free! The organization is amazing. The employees seem happy and they care a lot about the community and the volunteers too. It seems to be well-run with sufficient resources, although they always need more drivers so they can reach out to more people. Their meals on wheels program is for the whole island of O'ahu, and my route is focused on Waipahu. They have some baked goods and cookies for sale at supermarkets, at least at Don Quijote Waipahu. Their chocolate nut crispy cookies are really delicious! I can't say anything about the taste of the meals; but from what I saw, the meals seem balanced as they come with a frozen entree, milk, banana, orange, fruit cups, bread, etc. Some meals can accommodate special dietary needs like chopped, no pasta, etc. I wish everyone can afford food and have the capability to get food themselves, but unfortunately this is not the reality and am glad there's an organization who helps people become more independent and also provides some relief to the caregivers. Besides serving meals, they also hire people with disabilities. Sometimes we just need a helping hand to get things started. Blessings to everyone!

I had the great privilege and opportunity to learn what this great facility was all about. The…read moreshort story is they are a facility that offers a place for seniors to congregate for social interaction. In addition, they prepare meals for the many seniors who are incapable of preparing meals for themselves. The meals are packed, seemed to provide food for a few days and has everything, including the daily diet of milk. They have the delivery bags iced to keep the meals heathly while enroute. Each bag holds meals for 3 individuals and the bags are sorted and marked by area, ready for the volunteer deliver folks. The highlight was I had the opportunity to be a volunteer delivery person. While providing meals is the main thrust of the project, I've learned many of the seniors do not have people, family or friends to interact with on a daily basis. They look forward to the person bringing the meals, providing opportunity for human interaction. The coordinator of Lanakila was absolutely correct in her statement referring to the importance of our volunteer efforts. I walk away from my volunteer efforts a better person knowing I've help to pride food for the soul and companionship however brief for the mind! If you are reading this review and have the the time to volunteer, this is your cause. My last thought ends with thanking the Honolulu Yelp folks who are this effort possible

McKinley Community School for Adults offers the community great courses at a reasonable price. The…read morestaff cares about their students and show it on a daily basis. You can take special interest classes or obtain your GED. Either way if your looking at learning a new skill or bettering your education McKinley Community School For Adults is the school for you.

I have been to McKinley for various trainings for the Department of Education. Mainly for one…read morewelcome orientation and several computer applications classes specified for my job. I think I have one more class coming up, a lab to practice and that's it. Maybe more in the future as I expand as a secretary. The parking is great, sometimes packed like a can of sardines but they usually do open more parking areas beyond the chain link gated areas. Park on gravel always otherwise you risk being towed. Classrooms are clean and evenly spacious between computer stations. There are bathrooms located on the 1st and 2nd floors and you need a key for both (men & women's)

My family lived here in 2014-2015 and it gave us a second chance at life. They gave us 3 beds to…read moresleep on for my parents, me and my 5 younger siblings. They fed us 3 meals a day and helped my parents find employment and budget their money. Eventually they helped us get into Weinberg village transitional homeless shelter in Waimanalo. We left Weinberg after 2 years and started renting a home in Pearl city and eventually we had our finances set well enough that in 2017 we bought our first home together. I was so ashamed to say that I lived here when I was in high school but looking back on it today as a grown man I have to say that IHS was an absolute blessing for me and my family. Thank you so much to the many kind and loving people that worked here and to everyone that sacrificed their own time and resources to make IHS what it is. -The Lopes Family

I was looking for a place where I could donate some of my belongings that could be of better use…read morethan just sitting in my closet and drawers being unused, but I wanted to make sure the donation would go directly to the people in need right here in Hawaii. And specifically, to women and children in need. Surprisingly, I couldn't find many places that fit these specifications till I came across the the Women's & Family Shelter, an emergency shelter from the Institute for Human Services (IHS). IHS is an independent, local 501c3 nonprofit organization that makes sure 100% of all donations stays in Hawaii. Drop off was really simple. The donation drop off area is open Monday thru Friday from 0800-1600. You can park your vehicle temporarily right in front of the garage while you offload your items. On their website, there are 5 different ways you can help: 1. Monetary Donation. A link is provided on the website for your convenience. This can be a one time donation or you can set up a monthly donation. 2. An In-Kind Donation. The donation center is located around the corner of IHS at the garage entrance on Kaamahu Place. On the website " Wish List" you can find a list of what type of items are in need. Items needed are gently used clothing (all types) household toiletries (even makeup), school items, food, baby related items to name a few. Basically just think of what you use and need and eat on a daily basis to give yourself an idea of what you could donate to help another person/child. 3. Planned Giving, such as bequests from an estate plan or will, real estate, personal property, etc. 4. Cooperate and foundation giving, such as scholarships, grants, direct donations, etc. 5. Volunteer. There are many different types of volunteer opportunities, such as tutoring children, kitchen help, serving meals, working at the health clinic, sorting donations, etc. There's an opportunity for everyone to give in whatever form you choose. So instead of letting your drawers, closet, garage, shoe rack, etc get cluttered with unused or unwanted items, why not give it back to the community to help another person or child out? Or if you're not ready to part with your treasures a monetary gift is always appreciated. Donating my belongings not only made my house much tidier, but I was also happy knowing my items had a 2nd life while helping to meet the needs of a person/child right here in Hawaii.

My volunteering experience at the River of Life was truly remarkable. Registering for volunteering…read morewas very quick and easy. We went to the River of Life for a group project, I am in 7th grade and came with my dad not knowing what would happen. From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and appreciated. The kitchen had a cozy and inviting atmosphere, and the staff was knowledgeable and were the sweetest people you've ever met. They are so close to God and make sure that everyone who eats their food has a great time. Seeing my group members so engaged and having a great time was fantastic. After two hours of volunteering, we were finally able to taste the food we helped prepare. It was so good and I highly recommend volunteering at this center and can't wait to return!

A generous, selfless, non profit organisation; always looking for ways to serve the community;…read moreespecially the many homeless in the island. Your generous giving of donations in any amount; even if it means giving up a lunch once a week to support those in need is greatly appreciated and goes a long way. It's a truism, what goes out comes back around. The way things are right now; whose to say, you and I might need their generous service one day?

The missing is great but their workplace giving us not fair to other non- profits. The 211 dept has…read morea high turnover for call agents...bad management practices. Datanase resources are outdated compared to Google and AI.

Poverty and homelessness are an unfortunate reality that Honolulu has to contend with due to our…read morehigh cost of living. There are many of us full-time working professionals who feel the pinch of living in the 808. Imagine trying to survive here solely dependent on minimum wage or social security, and with children to take care of, on top of trying to pay the monthly rent or mortgage. Statistics have shown that half of Hawaii is unable to make ends meet, and it is commonplace for Hawaiians to work two or three jobs to survive. When I moved to Hawaii I was deeply disturbed by the sight of so many homeless on the streets. Homeless encampments a block from multi-million dollar luxury condos are a common sight in Honolulu. Now that Hawaii is my home for the time being, I searched for ways I could help give back to the community in some way. Two years ago I decided to become a member of AUW's Society of Young Leaders. This group is for young people between the ages of 21 and 39 who give an annual donation of at least $120. Donations to AUW help continue services that support early childhood development, after-school programs, developmental screenings for children, and distributing meals to needy families, the elderly, and the homeless. I chose for some of my donation to be designated to the ALICE Fund that helps individuals and families living paycheck to paycheck. ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. According to an ALICE study commissioned by AUW, in Hawaii, there are 165,013 ALICE households (37 percent), while another 47,066 households (11 percent) live below the poverty level. In total, 48 percent of Hawaii households are ALICE and below. I have always considered income inequality to be one of the most important issues of our time that has not been addressed enough by politicians. AUW is at the forefront of addressing income inequality in Hawaii. The AUW office is on N. Vineyard Blvd. near Chinatown. I have been to the AUW office for meetings as well as volunteer events such as the annual school supply drive for homeless children. It's a nice office and hopefully more people will get to see it after making a donation or choosing to help out with future AUW volunteer events.

This review is for my experience with the Family Birth Center and the postpartum recovery center…read moreafterwards. The doctors, nurses, CNA's and other staff helped make my birth experience go as smoothly as possible. They were all professional, compassionate, and gave me 5-star worthy care. My favorite part was our celebratory meal we got to enjoy on the second night of our stay. I was fortunate enough to be on my way home after only 2 nights. The reason for deducting 1 star is because my discharge experience could've gone better. We went from 2 blissful days of feeling taken care of and pampered, to feeling like we were being rushed to move out. An older Asian lady (not sure what her role is at Kapiolani but I know she definitely wasn't a nurse) came into our room and started basically telling us it's time to get ready to go. She asked my husband where our car seat was. We explained to her, per the instructions from our RN that was last taking care of us, we were waiting for the pharmacy to call to let us know my prescription was ready, then my husband will grab the car seat on the way to the pharmacy. Then we would have someone from their staff ensure that we buckled baby in correctly, and then proceed with discharge. This lady started yapping and bossing my husband around, telling him to bring the car around up front and we'll all walk out together. She then proceeded to call the pharmacy to basically tell them to hurry up and fill my prescription. Her presence caused me unnecessary stress. We felt like we were being hurried to clear out the room. On top of that, I was not offered a wheelchair to our car. I had to walk, 2 days postpartum, freshly stitched up and sore, to our car parked in front at guest drop off. Despite this experience I'm not letting it overshadow my overall experience at Kapiolani. The nurses were so sweet and supportive and made me feel like a rock star first time mom after I gave birth to my daughter in just 11 hours. I left feedback for kapiolani and I do hope they take steps to improve their discharge process for future patients.

Kapiolani Medical Center is a non-profit hospital specializing in the care of women and children on…read morethe Hawaiian Islands. The Center had its origin thanks to its namesake, Queen Kapiolani, who started a maternity home in 1890. Kapiolani had no children of her own, but left a legacy of devotion to education and health care for women and children. The Center is comprised of a hospital with emergency room capabilities. A clinic with full time physician oversight also operates at the center. The staff at Kapiolani Medical Center is aloha friendly. My daughter had her baby at Kapiolani, where she received good prenatal and delivery care. The Center is currently fundraising to raise money to support growth. I attended parts of the fundraiser, which was a heart warming experience. The facilities are a mishmash of architectural styles mostly from the 1980's. There is modest colorful art throughout the complex. The dining room on the second floor hosts a decent cafeteria and a Starbucks. The hospital is immaculate inside. The hospital is also a teaching hospital in partnership with the medical school at the University of Hawaii. Today, I also had lunch in the Kobayashi & Kosasa Dining Room. A big bowl of soup was only $4! I had broccoli cheese soup, which was healthier than your average soup, made with noticeably less salt. I loved my soup. The cafeteria offers an interesting menu of Hawaiian traditional meals, craft pizzas, salads and more. They offer valet parking, because finding your own parking is near impossible. There is a parking garage somewhere on site, but I'm not sure where.