http://www.mahomeless.org/home/home.html…read more Love these guys. They're in Lynn, so you need to be on the northern side of the city for pickup (think S-Ville & north), but they're very good. I've used them several times for donations (they come & pick up unused furniture, etc). Everyone is always nice - the scheduler is really nice & polite on the phone & the pick-up guys are great (and strong - which is key when you want to donate a sofa bed up on your 3rd floor apartment).

A good organization but they have moved. The location info here is incorrect. They are still in…read moreLynn at 73 Buffum St. on the corner of Oxford St. Buffum St is off of Union St.

Amazing YMCA facility! Clean, welcoming, and the staff make every visit enjoyable. Good value for…read moreprice!

On 2/2/25 I had my daughter's 9th birthday party at the Demakes Family YMCA in Lynn Ma…read more Planning the party was easy. I called and talked to someone who gave me a choice of either a 12:30 or 1pm start time. I selected 1pm, and asked to come see the facility. I went to the next day and a man at the desk gave me a tour. He showed me the party room as well as the pool area. He told me that my party would be able to use the splash pad, the small pool, and one lane of the large pool. I was excited for the small pool because not everyone In our party was a swimmer so everyone could still have fun and be safe. I called the facility on Friday before the party to verify the time and asked if kids should eat first or swim first, in which they told me it was up to me. I decided to swim first to allow time for food to come especially where barely any pizza places in Lynn will deliver to the facility, and I had my 78 year old mother bringing the pizza to the party in lieu of delivery. I got to the facility on the day of the event around 12:40. My husband, daughter, and I came in with materials to set up, as well as cake, drinks, and snacks. We told the desk we were there and they pointed around the corner to the party room. We went back to the car to get the remainder of our things and passed by the desk again where 3 workers were sitting behind the desk talking. Once we had everything in the room, a worker came in to introduce himself. He told me that they did not have staff for the party but he could help up, but he was doing like 10 different things. We already had everything in from the car so we did not require his assistance at that time. At 1pm most guests had already arrived so I brought the kids to the pool area. When we got inside, a woman worker wearing a pink athletic zip up jacket approached me and said that my party could not use the small pool unless I "paid extra".I paid $400 for this part so I am not sure how much extra she wanted. I told her that I was told on my tour that I could use the small pool and a lane In the big pool. She agreed to let my party use the pool, but told me that there was a lesson going on until 1:30 and that my party needed to respect the lesson, which they did. If I had known this in advance, I could have started my party at 1:30 instead of 1pm, but was not given that option or told about the lesson. Another woman came and started giving bracelets to the kids in my party. As some kids came in late, we asked the woman in pink for additional wrist bands, to which she rudely said to wait, and never came back with the bands.I was also told I could not take pictures of my own child in the pool area , something I was not told when booking the party. The woman in pink also rudely went up to several of my guests, and had them move their belongings. She then went to her office to eat. While we were there there were also two kids not in our party at the shower station the entire time, putting the shower heads in their mouths, and no one reprimanded them. In the family locker room, I brought my daughter to change, and there was no lock on the door. I needed to hold her door closed while she changed. The days after the party, several attendants reported feeling sick with flu like symptoms after swimming in the pool. The facility itself was nice, but unfortunately not all staff was friendly or helpful. Last year, I had a great experience at the Saugus YMCA gymnastics center. It was cheaper, I had staff run the entire party, and multiple kids left getting info to sign up for gymnastics. This year in Lynn, no one was interested in returning after being treated poorly with disorganization.

Today, I was given ice packs, Motrin and Tylenol for extreme swelling in lower extremities due to…read moreacute osteoarthritis. They wouldn't allow me to elevate my feet for medical reasons on a chair because common sense did not prevail. A volunteer upstairs allowed me to elevate legs and a young woman Deseree attempted to pull chair out from underneath me when I said I need a minute as I had bilateral knee replacements as well. No common sense. She said if you have a bag (lol) put.your feet on that. Moments like that diminish the good that is accomplished here.

There are just so many good things to say about this place that I'm not sure where to start…read more First, it is not a "shelter" in the typical sense of the word, and the staff and guests do not refer to it as a "shelter". They consider themselves a "community", and act as such. There are NO lines for anything at the WLP. The women are served their meals at their tables by volunteers, and their materials are bussed for them once they are done, unless they choose to self-bus. The food. Oh heavens! WLP prides itself on serving nourishing, FRESH food. Each meal will have all nutritional requirements met, and there is always a veggie option. We're not talking canned goods or sandwiches here, folks. No, this is chopped and diced fresh veggies, prime cut meats, the finest ingredients. If you're a good cook and after you've volunteered a few times, they are happy to let you get in the kitchen and help whip up stuff. The resident chef there, Gina, is wonderfully creative in the kitchen (and very nice), and from time to time, other professional chefs from local restaurants come in to put together a meal. The WLP isn't jsut a food place, although that's the highlight of the day. It also provides the women with full time advocacy support to help with finding housing, food, or other services. There is a computer room/resource room that the ladies may use. There is also a nap room where women can go to get sometimes some much needed rest, and also a quiet room for just some peace, solitude, and maybe reading or reflecting. Women are also able to get various toiletries and clothing that they may need. They may do their laundry and take showers. The Program Manager, Heather (also very, very nice and competent) has done a great job of making sure that there are interesting activities for guests if they choose to participate: yoga, painting, field trips, knitting, etc. Since the WLP is run as a "community", the staff are INCREDIBLY patient with the women, and if a guest is being disorderly or breaking a rule, she is not immediately tossed out, but is counseled and given more than one opportunity to redeem herself by correcting her behavior. Throwing someone out is a last option at the WLP. WLP treats its volunteers as the valuable commodity we are. We are appreciated, thanked, and made to feel a part of the "team". Added Perk: They also have really incredible volunteer thank you events! I enjoy volunteering here. I learn something new and meet new people each time I go. I don't have a lot of spare time to volunteer, but when I do, the WLP gets me all the time, every time. It's important to know that this place could not be so great without us- the community at large supporting it through donations, volunteering, contributions, etc. The staff, Regina, Linda, Joanna, Lauren, Linnie, and Cheryl are terrific- go meet them! This is just a wonderful, wonderful place. You will not leave here without your heart being touched in some way.

If you're looking for a hall to rent for a wedding, I'll graduation give the nights a Columbus a…read morecall. It's a nice clean. Well kept bathrooms. I've been to many functions and I have enjoyed myself.

My family likes to host functions here as it is a large venue that uses Rollys for catering. We had…read morea birthday celebration for my recently passed grandmother. As far as I'm aware, communication was good and planned months if not a year in advanced. There's a full bar to make almost any drink you'd want. They wouldn't allow open bar for liability concerns but the prices were less than $10 a drink. One bartender was nicer than the other but overall friendly people. For food they set up a cheese and crackers table with fruits and vegetables to pick from as well. I liked the variety of options they had but I did notice some of the cheese had blue spots of mold on them. At the end of the day, I found out they were horrified and compensated for the whole set. They even showed the cheese packaging which was not even close to expired. We appreciated their response and fortunately nobody appeared to have gotten sick. Catered food was a garden and Cesar salad, chicken broccoli and ziti, meatballs, chicken tenders, and an assortment of deli sandwiches. I liked the meatballs the most and the rest was okay. Overall, the place could use an update but we had a good time. Would coordinate more events with them in the future.

Swampscott's Big Blue Bargains raises money for charity. They comb through the donations and don't…read moreput out any junk. The hours are limited, but it's worth a trip. I just want to correct what another poster said: Big Blue Bargains is located on Norfolk Ave in Swampscott and the back door of the former Clarke Elementary School (not the Middle School which is on a different street).

I almost want to keep this place all to myself, but I have to share whenever I find a great thrift…read moreshop. I went to Big Blue Bargains today for the first time. They're located on the backside of Swampscott Middle School and the friendly volunteers told me that they've been open for four years. They operate to raise funds for the Swampscott school system. This place is awesome - they have mostly clothes for adults and kiddos, with some small home goods and a smattering of other random items. I got some great stuff and all on the cheap - 2 pair of pants, 2 workout tops, a pair of boots, a backpack, and a couple small decorative items, all for about $20. I'll be visiting this store again, and I hope you will, too! Word to the wise, they're only open Wed mornings and Saturdays until 1 and they seem to be cash only (tho I didn't verify this).

It's hidden away but it's a big store with a lot of stuff. Easily accessible and always has a…read morevariety of clothing and housewares. Nice staff and good hours.

I just wanted to reply to the guy Nicholas that said every time he walks by it's closed! Look up…read morethe hours! It's clearly stated here on yelp. They don't work until 9pm at night! They are always fully staffed, helpful, organized and always doing something, no one is ever just standing around. If there's stuffed left outside it's because people drop off after business hours. If you want to eat at a restaurant you wouldn't go after hours right? Pretty simple...Cheers!

I was admitted to Operation ABLE's Work/Study program a few years ago in my late Sixties. I was not…read morelooking to get a Full Time Job but I did know I wanted to either learn some Technical Computer Skills which I never thought I would ever learn at my age so that I could do some part time work somewhere or a Home Business which definitely would need Excel, Word, and make Presentations. I also learned while there they had a 'Medical Terminology Course', which would feed my previous Army Medical background and learn more up to date terms for work at a Hospital or similar area. The many weeks I was there; with the absolutely patient, understanding, and very loving and talented 'Friends' made there; I have made my life ; because of Operation ABLE's Staff much more enjoyable; and made money I never dreamed of. Let us all support this program as long as God keeps us here. They will always be part of my Heart's 'Family' and I wish them well........ A Check is on the way. Well Deserved. Frank Pignone Stoneham Mass. Age 72 and as active as 40.......due to this program.

From the owner: Since 1982, Operation ABLE, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, has provided job seekers with training…read moreprograms and employment services. Our mission and passion is to empower our community of job seekers, the underemployed, those in career transition, and military veterans who need job support services to re-enter the workforce. We offer a variety of services including occupational and computer skills training, workshops, job search training and support, coaching and counseling, and some training programs offer internships.