An amazing nonprofit that provides top tier support for children and their families.read more

From the owner: For over 129 years, Childrens Home Society of California (CHS) has adapted to the changing needs of…read morechildren and families. Since 1891, CHS has worked diligently to protect our communitys children and strengthen their families through diverse programs and services. At CHS, we view a child not in isolation, but in the context of each familys health, stability, and resources. We believe that families are fundamentally strong and resilient. That is why CHS offers programs and services to build upon a familys inherent strengths so they can move toward self-sufficiency. Childrens Home Society of California is a nonprofit organization that is governed by a Board of Directors, made up of dedicated volunteers from throughout California. The President of CHS leads the agency and conserves our most significant asset, the CHS Endowment. The President oversees program services, agency operations, and program development efforts, as well as program enhancement departments including Community Outreach, Quality Assurance, and Best Practices & Outcomes. This is accomplished with the vital assistance and support of key staff and the work of highly-trained program staff. Our Corporate Headquarters is located in Los Angeles, California, with additional offices in Long Beach, Oakland, Orange, San Diego, Ventura, Woodland, and Yuba City.

My daughter has been asking for a dog for years so we decided to "just look" and get some…read moreinformation. We went to the Humane Society and Helen Woodward, then my friend told us that there were dogs for adoption at the Point Loma farmers market. We met Babs at the farmers market and learned more about A Way Home for Dogs, and she was open to us fostering a rescue dog initially to see if adoption would be a good fit, which I really appreciated. She offered to bring the two dogs we were most interested in to our house after the event so we could meet them each one on one. After meeting the two dogs we asked to foster (to hopefully adopt) a friendly pug. Babs was very honest about him and how to manage and care for him. She left us with leash, crate and treats and dropped off food for him the next day. She has been highly responsive to questions and has gone out of her way to support us in the process including providing supplies and temporary care. Babs is fiercely protective of her rescue dogs who she's nursed to good health, trained and prepared for adoption. She genuinely cares about the dogs and helping them find good families/homes. In addition - and what she's most known for -- she helps people find lost dogs for FREE! Babs and A Way Home For Dogs is truly amazing. Though we've dogsat many times, I hadn't owned or lost a dog before so I wasn't familiar with A Way Home For Dogs but after we started fostering when I talked with friends about our experience many spoke highly of Babs and her nonprofit organization. Some have been donating to A Way Home for Dogs for years. Babs and her volunteers are amazing! If you're in need of help to find your dog who's run away or is lost, or are considering fostering or adopting I highly recommend A Way Home for Dogs! She will go all over San Diego County and beyond to help!

From the owner: We are a free Pet Recovery Service for owners who have lost their pets on a global scale. We also…read morecapture evasive street strays in the San Diego area and/or assist members of the public on how to capture them. We also Rescue, Rehab and Rehome some of the dogs we secure (pending kennel space and/or an open foster). We do not accept relinquishments or honor requests to pull dogs from shelters that are on "death row".

Reality Changers is an amazing organization that helps lower income/at risk youth become first…read moregeneration college students. Students attend weekly meetings that include Hot Words (usually SAT prep), a family style dinner, a take home lesson, and tutoring by college students or other volunteers. RC also sends eligible students to UCSD over the summer to take courses for college credit, to a week-long summer camp to bond with other students, and helps seniors complete their college & scholarship applications... did I mention this is all for free? The students who I've met here are some of the most intelligent, friendly, and resilient high schoolers I know, and everyone on staff is wonderful. If you live in San Diego and you have a couple of free hours every week, definitely DEFINITELY check out this organization! Because education is a right, not a privilege - and you can help make one student's dream a reality!

Reality Changers is a non-profit that helps 8th-12th grade students from all over San Diego be the…read morefirst in their families to go to college. Over the years, Reality Changers has proven that it is much more than a non-profit program. I have volunteered as a tutor and mentor since Spring of 2008 (back when I was still a student at UCSD) and it has been extremely rewarding seeing the students grow and mature into responsible citizens and adults. The weekly program consists of S.A.T. test preparation, an insightful lesson, a delicious homemade dinner (which is five stars for sure! not every volunteer gig you do feeds you!), and then 1.5 hours of study time. During this time, you are paired up with a small group of students which makes it easier to connect with the students. Reality Changers has even had inspiring guest speakers such as politicians, leaders in the San Diego community, and university officials. With the help of the supportive and encouraging staff and volunteers, these inner-city youth from San Diego become the first in their families to attend a four-year university.. and not only do they defy all statistics against them to get ACCEPTED, these students earn scholarships to go to schools such as Duke, Harvard, Dartmouth, USC, UCLA, and more. This truly shows how Reality Changers is more than just a program that helps high school students. It gives teens who never might have had the chance an opportunity of a lifetime and I am happy and blessed to be a part of it. It is amazing what a few hours a week can do to transform a student's life. This organization is unlike place I've ever volunteered at because they really make everyone who is a part of the program - whether you're a tutor, a parent, a volunteer, or a student feel like part of the RC Family. Also, tutors come from very diverse backgrounds - there are many college students (from UCSD, SDSU, PLNU, etc), professionals from the community, retired adults, and more who are all invested in helping inner city students from San Diego be the first in their families to go to college.

Graduated late August and I can say prepped me well and I'm already setup with a career in welding!…read moreTo anyone reading this interested in welding or machining go for it

Went for a tour! Completely amazing! The quality of the…read moreeducation and the incredible skills they graduate with. So proud that this is here in San Diego!

I brought in the watercolor below, for restoration, because they employ the only paper conservator…read morein the city. So grateful for their prompt responses and attention to detail! Although the waiting list for restorations is approximately a year for any new work, they were kind enough to squeeze me in to take a look and help freeze the degradation process that had already begun. Christina, their sole paper conservator, removed the acidic backing, and packaged it carefully and thoroughly in acid-free paper to store until she has time to give it her full attention. She is absolutely the best! She was professional, kind, listened to my questions, and gave very helpful, thoughtful, and practical advice for the care of the painting. I know the painting will be in good hands. I am so grateful to have such a resource for museum quality preservation of this gorgeous piece. Will follow up with an after photo once restoration is complete.

minaturrv train exhibit,, many ethnic restaurants,Theatrer ,music hall recomend day long visitread more

They recently redid the Science Center and it's SO much better! The new layout is more open, and…read morethere's even a free section with fun hands-on activities like the gravity ball spinner and a huge air-powered ball wall. The kids' area got a major upgrade. My 3-year-old spent hours in the building section using real power drills, screws, and hammers! There are also flying-machine activities, a ball pit, building stations, and a toddler area with a pretend grocery store and little city. I do wish some of the building activities had better instructions. Tickets are a little pricey, but CalFresh/WIC admission is only $4 per person, which makes it a fantastic affordable outing for families. Huge improvement overall!

Impressive tech, but proceed with caution for 3-hour feature films!…read more We were super excited to see The Odyssey here for our very first IMAX experience after waiting two weeks for our date! Having already seen the movie twice in a standard theater, we were curious to see how it translated to the Heikoff Giant Dome. Here is the full breakdown of how it works and what to expect: Essential Tips & Logistics for 6:30 PM Box Office Movies: Tickets & Arrival: You MUST buy tickets online in advance. The Science Center itself closes to the public at 5:00 PM, but line up outside around 5:00 PM--the queue fills up fast between 5:00-5:30 PM! Door Opening & Entry: Doors open at 6:00 PM sharp. Once tickets are scanned, you'll enter a second line inside. Members and ADA guests get priority boarding around 6:25 PM, followed by General Admission. Pro-Tip for Groups: Seating is first-come, first-served. It was literally a stampede when doors opened! Have one person hold your spot in the inside queue while another uses the restroom or hits concessions. Concessions: Everything is prepackaged (bags of popcorn, candy, canned sodas/water). No fresh movie-theater popcorn or fountain drinks, but fine for a quick snack. Seats & Seating Placement: Aim as high up and toward the center as possible! We sat in the lower half of the upper section. The seats are clean, comfortable, and feel brand new, but they do not recline. Staring up at the dome for nearly 3 hours caused some serious neck strain. Also, watch out for the glass balcony railings in the upper section, which can partially cut into your sightline. The Film Experience: The sound system is fantastic and the theater itself is spotless, but for a fast-paced action movie like The Odyssey, the dome format just didn't work for us. Being that close made it feel like watching a screen two feet from your face--fight scenes became a blur, and the dome curved the edges of the picture (buildings and straight objects looked noticeably warped/distorted). It felt a bit like looking through a fishbowl. Overall Verdict: No knock at all on the staff, Fleet Science Center, or the incredible tech--for documentary shorts or environmental films, this dome is probably mind-blowing. But for long feature films with heavy action, it didn't add to the movie and was a bit overwhelming. Glad we experienced it, but we'll stick to traditional theaters for feature films in the future! P.S. / Note for Fleet Science Center Management & Staff: I know queuing outside can be tricky to manage, but I wanted to share an observation in case it helps improve the queue process. We arrived around 5:10 PM and were about 10th in line outside. However, the group of 2 people right in front of us gradually grew to 12 as more of their party arrived over the next hour, and another pair grew to 8. By the time the doors opened at 6:00 PM, our spot in line effectively jumped from 10th to around 25th. While holding places for late arrivals is understandable to a degree, seeing groups multiply like that can feel a bit unfair to those who stood outside early. Some retail stores and venues (like those in Hawaii) handle this by handing out numbered queue cards or tokens per person as they join the line, preventing late-arriving party members from jumping ahead of early arrivers. Just a thought for future popular feature film screenings!

This is a non-profit organization promoting composting. They are open Tues and Thurs from 8:30-4…read moreand sell composters, both the standard kind for yard waste and vermi-composters for kitchen/food waste at subsidized rates for residents of Encinitas and neighboring towns (see their website). I bought both types today for a steal at only $40 each and met a super friendly and helpful guy named Mike. He told me they do free composting seminars and gave me a flyer with dates and locations (see my photo). All in all a great experience and I wanted to spread the word. Note: they are a bit hard to find, from El Camino Real turn east onto Via Molena (towards the Sheriff station) and continue past the recycling bins all the way to the end of the driveway

Great place to recycle electronics. Friendly helpful people making a difference for our community.read more

Terrific communication, our previous custom shirt person retired - so we needed to start over. We…read morewere so pleased with the finished product and competitive pricing, we have already placed a second order - great local company - definitely recommend

People that are in the automotive, general repair or machine industry know how hard it is to find a…read moresolid, reputable machine or CNC shop. It's even harder to find a shop that has skilled workers with common sense and good training. Believe it or not, common sense and skilled workers does not always go hand n hand. For example, you might have a great skilled worker that knows how to do his job, but when it's time to think "outside the box" they might get uncomfortable because they need some directions on how to perform the task. Well I was lucky to run into DustIn and his shop. I called around a few other shops and they weren't too familiar with what I needed done (thread repairs on a 3" diameter) but Dustin had that "I'll figure it out, bring it over" attitude which I love. Not only did he get to work as soon as I got there, but he showed me how to finish cleaning the threads out Incase the work he did wasn't enough. I appreciated his honesty and his "let's get it done" attitude! Will definitely recommend others to his shop!