When I moved out they did not let me grab my things instead they put my things in bags and told me…read moreto come pick them up when I got there i did not get all my things back. They did not give me my laptop and other valuables. Coincidently all my brand name clothes was not given to me either when asked where the rest of my things were I was told it was not in the room. I was not compensated in any way they didn't even try to find my things I lived there for almost 2 years. I gave them a list of my things all they did was give me two bags and basically told this is all you get. They are horrible!!

2 members of Covenant house plopped their table in front of our business without even asking for…read morepermission, harassing our customers. When we asked them to move he said and I quote " ....or else what?" We had to call the police to get them removed for trespassing. This is an open police report with Glendale PD in Glendale AZ if anyone wants to research it. I tried to contact William Bedrossian himself but crickets. BUT WAIT there's more. The employee was then soooo upset he leaves us a bad yelp review. Well 1 good turn deserves another

Alameda Point Collaborative is a great organization that has pioneered the refurbishment and…read morerepurposing of the Alameda Naval Air Station. They call it a "supportive" housing community because it helps people in need. Its likely the largest such organization in the East Bay with over 500 residents. They have on-site counselors that work with the residents and prospective residents. They also offer connections to potential jobs and vocational training. Lastly, they provide youth services for the community in the form of tutoring and enrichment activities. Please support APC. Its organizations like this that silently help our brothers and sisters in the community out of the poverty cycle.

This is my unit, my apologies I couldn't find a picture of the outside…read more I just wanted to say that the supervising case management at Bessie Coleman Court, is a liar, a cheat and a fake. She's good friends with my harasser and caseworker, so I do I even battle with that. Keisha Johnson, is the lead case management at Bessie Coleman Court, and she was initially my caseworker there. Keisha, was telling my personal information to her other clients, I know because she was the only person that I had confided in. Afterwards I would her residents taunting me about my personal information that I told the caseworker. Shortly after I put in for a new caseworker but the new caseworker informed me that any and everything we speak about goes through her boss and lead supervising case management Keisha Johnson. Bessie Coleman Court, residence receives gift card, toy, food and other help but 10/2022 was the last time I received anything. Which was two gift cards for target one was $30 and the other was $100. Although I felt as if my daughter and I should have received more but we didn't. We didn't receive anything for Thanksgiving, but everyone else did. Except for my daughter and I. Christmas is roughly a week away and my daughter and I still haven't received anything but every other family will and I am quite sure has already. I haven't been home regularly for almost a year and this year we won't even spend Christmas. Because of my harasser and their family and friends. I've been threatened and my child. Of shooting the bitch, that's me. I've been living in a hotel. Tell me why last we I saw out the pep hole my harassers daughter and a male leave the room next door to me passing by my room cursing me and had never crossed paths with me since being at the room? Are tell me why every evening I hear my harassers upstairs cursing me? I told property management that some guy came and was near my car that man bugged my car. Because I would her the lady cursing me everywhere I go. I believe that want people to think I am crazy but far from it. How do I prove my allegations if I don't have nobody that could find the bug that has been planted on my car? She doesn't have any money to pay for the hotel rooms, which means the supervising case management and long time friend is miss using the work finances. Just because the room aren't in her name the hotel rooms are still being paid for in Fremont, CA. Why is anything being paid out so far away and the complex and business is in Alameda, CA? I've informed property management but excuse my French a whole bunch of black workers that lie and try and cover things up. Okay tell me this if Alameda Point Collaborative, has been working closely with the Alameda Police Department, the why has my harasser still allowed too live at the complex? She has over thirty police calls from harassing and attacking other residents. I witnessed one attack on Mother's Day, and that day my harasser's daughters were there and one daughter had just been released from prison after serving over four years. The released criminal started messing with a neighbor and shortly after the whole family started attacking the lady and her young son. Throwing liquor on them through the screen door and spraying mace through the lady door. Police did come but I didn't want too get involved no one went to jail, but I called the supervising case management, told her everything but she just hide everything and nothing was ever done. I informed case management and they say some bullshit like it was report to us nor in a proper manner of time. You tell me if that place is a bunch of crap! I believe they are jealous because I was ordering my daughter so much every time I felt like it but it's not me my Father, in heaven is rich so he showers me with his love...

I came here as a volunteer event with my coworkers and I can say it was hard work, but very…read morerewarding and most importantly fun! Sign up for this event was very easy. You sign up before you arrive and check in at the lobby sign in kiosk. They do require masks at this time, but do provide you with extra masks and gloves if you do forget yours. Before your shift, you do a temperature check/screening outside which is very easy and non invasive. Parking is safe. A gated lot with tons of security cameras and volunteers in the parking lot at all times. With outdoor tent eating area. Tasks include sorting fruits/veggies and bagging them for transport. Organizing boxes ect. A task for everyone. The volunteers are all very helpful and nice. And at the end of your shifts you can see how much meals you provided. Shifts are 3 hours each. One from 8:30-12 and 12-3. Time flies when having fun. Highly recommend this place to volunteer and give back. Link to volunteer: https://www.accfb.org/get-involved/volunteer/

I've been here two times and this is a great & safe place to volunteer! You must sign up in advance…read moreonline. There's two 3 hr shifts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Once you get to the location, park all the way in the back, to the right side, then enter through the door. Once you enter, you'll be greeted, write your name on a name tag, then you'll check in on the computers, and they'll lead you to a room where they'll introduce you to the ACCFB, talk a little bit about the history, safety, etc. They also have lockers if you want to put your bag inside, and they have a break area where you can leave your water bottles, etc. The restroom is also clean as well! For the volunteering portion, I bagged apples & potatoes, and also assembled the giant cardboard boxes to fill up the produce and fruits in. It is super fun and you get a 15 minute break in between. This is a great location to do this solo, with family/friends, or even with work! There are lead volunteers around to help you with anything you may need. At the end, they'll recap how many pounds of foods were pack and how many meals will be served to the community. It is such a wonderful place to volunteer and I know it won't be my last time coming here!

Apparently, my previous review of this Oakland facility (2 weeks ago) was removed. Understandable…read more After all, it was a vivid, accurate, albeit unflattering description of my decades long experience(s) with this particular location with a focus on a specific recent event and individual epitomizing ongoing abysmal management practices. As for YELP? Ha! Not even a courtesy contact to inform me of said removal or conversation regarding the defense of my position. C'est la vie... 3.4 YELP Stars currently? Imagine the score if H4H management were not compelling YELP to remove negative narratives written by offended potential customers. I shall craft my narrative a bit differently this time - Been visiting this facility for a long time (15+ years?) due to its close proximity and my profession (General B Remodel Contractor) visiting mostly on behalf of my clients. Frankly, I primarily go next door to "The Reuse People" which is far more stable/fair/consistent regarding their business practices. Half the time, I struggle in personal debate, standing out front of this H4H facility, asking myself "do I want to endure, yet another, frustrating/disappointing waste of my time?"... Most of the people you meet at this facility are friendly volunteers. They are not expected to engage dialogue beyond the very basics. However, "management" is another story entirely. Were I to describe the many, many, (many) unhappy occasions I have experienced with management, it would make you wonder how Jimmy Carter (RIP) ever got involved with this organization. Here's a typical interaction/scenario from 2 weeks ago. I noticed a large 3X5 framed picture mounted on the wall some 8-10 feet above the floor in the rear showroom. Every picture on that wall had a price tag ranging from between $60 - $125, except this one which had no price. I went to the front desk to inquire about it and met "NICK". Now "NICK" has rarely provided the same name twice over the many years so, I don't need to change his name to protect an identity here. LOL Conversation as follows: Jerry: Nick, I would like to take down the picture from the wall for closer review before purchase, It's too high up for a proper exam. Nick: Sorry, we can only take the picture down after purchase. Jerry: Hmm, OK, what is your return policy? Nick: No returns after purchase. Jerry: Seems like a pretty bad policy, don't you think? Buy it, take it down, find damage, and cannot return? Nick: Which one is it exactly? (We now walk toward the picture and I grab a short step ladder) Jerry: Nick, I'm sure I can grab it easily & put it back if it's not acceptable. Nick: OK, go ahead & take it down. Jerry: OK Nick, i'll buy it, how about $100 dollars? Nick: No price tag? You'll need to come back tomorrow to get a price. Jerry: Nick, this pic is nothing special, every picture on that wall ranges around $100, my offer is rather generous. Nick: We need to look it up online to determine a price. Jerry: Look what up exactly? It appears to be a print, in a frame, with glass and no signature anywhere? What will you look up? $100 dollars is more than fair. Nick: Sorry, come back tomorrow. Jerry: That is just plain "stupid" Nick: Shrugs, no response. Jerry: (As I was walking out the door) "Stupid". I'm guessing that our hapless H4H hero "Nick" is laboring under some frustrating management policies that compel his ongoing name change lest he be singled out for reprimand by customers & corporate superiors alike. I, on the other hand, prefer to use my real name. While this unfortunate exchange is relatively mild on the scale of disappointments at this facility, one might even consider this YELP review itself a waste of my time; which it is. Sigh... Maybe, I just need to get a sense of humor? Hmmm.... Perhaps I should start introducing myself to the H4H staff as Pancho Villa! Maybe that will get some laughs? Bottom line, If you are on a journey of personal evolution & self improvement; practicing patience and finding humor in the utterly absurd, this is a great place to exercise your discipline. Jerry aka Pancho Villa

Ever since I could remember, I've always wanted to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity (H4H). Like…read moreevery person, I made several reasons (more excuses) as to why I couldn't make the time. Work, family, weather, health and etc. I probably used every "excuse" in the book. As my goal for 2014 to do 100 community service hours, I finally registered. I used Govoluntr, https://govoluntr.com/ to sign up which directed me to the main website of H4H http://www.habitatebsv.org/. You'll have to create an account and then choose the date and location you want to volunteer. To my surprise and I do mean surprise, they had a construction site in Walnut Creek. Upon arrival, we signed in and met with the H4H crew. I learned that any (low income) family can apply for a H4H home, as long as you're in NEED of shelter, can repay a no interest bearing home loan, and volunteer several hundred hours (min 500) of building your home and other homes. All homes are built solely by volunteers and donated products. We were given 3 options this day: Outdoor siding, base board finish/touchup, or lay wood flooring. Since myself and my lil man, laid wood flooring before (long ago) we decided to tackle this project. Our team leader was Ian. My lil man grouped up with a younger team to finish one room and me and my honey finished one room. Maybe we didn't finish it at the end of our 7.5 hour day, but we were darn close. I tell you what I wished I had knee pads. This was a work out because the next day my butt and thighs were sore. This was an amazing experience. I would highly recommend any parent bring their child (must be atleast 16 years old) to experience this. They will learn a lot about repairing and building. Every time I drive by this community, I can actually say I helped build that house. That alone is gratification. So no more excuses everyone. I work 8-10 hour days, family, yelp, church, kids practice/games and I found time to give back to the community. Put down the remote control and find a nearest volunteer service in your community and make a difference in someone's life. Next on my list Princess Project...here I come!!

I've been a member of the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club for nearly 6 years, and I LOVE it!! It's a…read morefantastic civic organization that supports Children's Fairyland, and is super supportive of all things Oakland. It has been a wonderful way for me to get involved in the community as a local business owner, and I learn so much from the weekly speakers and members about local history, politics and current events. If you're looking for a way to get involved in Oakland or to give back to your community, or both, come check us out!! Guests are always welcome!!

Want to nourish your body, mind, and spirit in one stop? Just attend one of Lake Merritt Breakfast…read moreClub's weekly meetings at 7:30 on Thursday morning. The moment you walk up to the Garden Club you began to feel the positive vibe this Club emits, As sponsors of Children's Fairyland and the Lake Merritt Necklace of Lights, the Club is committed to bettering the quality of life in Oakland while sharing a great social experience. You enjoy a great buffet breakfast while enjoying a varied program that is uplifting, funny, entertaining, and informative. The speaker the past week was Dr Lubin, CEO & President of Children's Hospital Oakland. He spoke about how a recent $100 million dollar grant from the Benioff family enabled Children's Hospital Oakland to partner with UCSF Children's hospital to form the greatest Children's Hospital in the World. Good things are happening in Oakland. As promised,I walked out of the meeting feeling nourished in body, mind, and spirit, and it was still only 8:30 in the morning. It doesn't get any better than that.

I attended the Uppercut for stand-up comedy. The host and audience are welcoming. I feel this…read moreenvironment is the best to practice stand-up over a dive bar since you got a crowd who is there to pay attention to the folks on stage.

The Youngest M has come here with her Montessori middle school where they do "Coffee Shop"…read moreperformances weekly. She asked me if we could go to their performance of "In the Heights", Lin-Manuel's fantastic musical that preceded Hamilton. "In the Heights", put on by Plethos Productions, is the first play at this venue, but they host a lot of other creative and interesting things. I am now following them and plan to check out some other events. We all thoroughly enjoyed "In the Heights". What a great show! Several of the performers are outstanding talents, and all of the production company is full of passion and enthusiasm. The venue is intimate, 50 seats, general seating. They offered beer, wine, horchata, tacos, coffee and more for sale at the event. All very reasonably priced. Only downside... a single restroom. Plan ahead, timing is everything, folks. I'm so pleased to have "discovered" this little gem I've walked by many times! Thanks, Little M.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a food tour organized by Family Bridges, a nonprofit…read moreorganization dedicated to supporting and uplifting the community, and the experience was beyond amazing. It was truly eye-opening and such a meaningful way to learn more about Oakland Chinatown, its culture, history, and community. Harriet, Tien, Danny, and Edmond were all incredibly kind, welcoming, and helpful throughout the tour. You can genuinely see how passionate they are about giving back to the community and supporting local small businesses. I really appreciated how they worked to promote safety and show people that Oakland Chinatown is a safe and vibrant place to visit, eat, and explore. Not only did we get to enjoy amazing food from local businesses, but we also learned so much history about the area and the people behind it. It's inspiring to see a nonprofit organization like Family Bridges creating positive change while uplifting the community at the same time. Thank you again to Harriet, Tien, Danny, and Edmond for such an unforgettable experience. These tour doesn't come often, however when they do, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to learn more about Oakland Chinatown, support local businesses, and experience the incredible work Family Bridges is doing for the community! THANK YOU FAMILY BRIDGES TEAM !

Date: 12/16/2021 Time: 4:20 PM 56° Sunny…read more I found out about this nonprofit organization through Facebook. Their post was seeking donation for an event occurring this Saturday, December 18. The event is their annual Holiday Senior Luncheon. They not only will be distributing hot meals, but also special gift bags for 400 seniors. Their "goal is to serve and empower low income limited English proficient immigrant families to lead self-sufficient independent lives." (Quoted statement is from their Facebook page.) I stopped by their organization, only to find the door was locked. Thank goodness a Chinese gentleman was about to leave for the day. I told him I wanted to write out a check for a certain amount for Saturday's event. He was kind enough to invite me in and have a seat to make a generous contribution. There are reasons why I chose to make a charitable donation to Family Bridges during the holiday season. 1. I am a 70 year old Chinese woman, daughter of immigrant parents. Parents are from Toishan, China. The contribution is to honor my parents who are no longer with my family. 2. I grew up in Oakland Chinatown, attended an elementary school (Lincoln) a block west from this organization and the Chinese Community Cultural Center aka Milton Shoong Institute. 3. I have not forgotten where I came from. Although I have supported many other causes in the past, Oakland Chinatown is the community I grew up in from September 1959 to March 1974. Support the community by giving back to it. Family Bridges also with the benefit from KTSF's Toy Drive is encouraging people to donate brand new toys to the Lake Merritt Child Care Center, located at 250 - 12th Street, Oakland between 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. I will continue to support this nonprofit organization in the future.

I started volunteering with Oakland Elizabeth House in November of 2016 and had the pleasure to…read moremeet so many wonderful families who are working overtime for the betterment of their family. I found Oakland Elizabeth House through instagram and went through the application and interview process with the house volunteer coordinator at the time, Dana. I was able to meet most of the house and become an active volunteer within that next week. At certain times of the year they seem as though they have no shortage of volunteers but during school breaks and certain weekdays, they require more volunteer assistance on several different levels, which can range from helping tutor kids, watching kids during weekly house meetings, planning field trips, organizing reading buddies, and more. I'd usually go one or two times a week for 2-4 hours, or for full days sometimes if it were over spring break or an unexpected rainy day. I'd help with meals and mostly craft time. The age ranges of kids are anywhere from baby through grade school so it's certainly a task to find something all will be interested in for their age. The kids are full of personality and genuinely enjoy and appreciate the extra attention they can get and opportunities to feel special among new people. Some volunteer days are busier than others but even if you aren't interested in organizing events or hanging with the kids, you can volunteer in other ways like sprucing up their garden and play yard. If you have any special skill that are shareable or teachable, that's such a gift to bring to Elizabeth House. Elizabeth House also accepts donations of clothing and food but there is a somewhat strict policy for drop off times, due to it being a very small community in the house and only a few windows open for volunteers and housemates to organize.

I volunteered here today! I met their volunteer coordinator at Yelp Helps and had been in contact…read morevia e-mail since the event. I was glad to finally be able to attend one of their scheduled volunteering opportunities. Their website is thorough and will give you lots of information about who they are, including frequently asked questions. I was signed up to help the mothers and children wrap Christmas presents but when I arrived they had that covered. The volunteer coordinator quickly found something else for me to do. I helped prepare volunteer thank you letters for mailing. I was fortunate to be sitting across the table from the volunteer coordinator and she answered all my questions about their organization. I didn't see Le M's review until now and it reminds me that there a lot of people out there who don't understand how much staff time goes into accepting used or not currently needed donations. We actually talked about this today after I asked about donations and their volunteer coordinator commented about recently receiving bags and bags of canned food items...all of which were expired. The staff had to go through all of them to compost and recycle. With a staff of four, they certainly don't always have the time to go through used items to determine which are good enough for the women and children residents. I am sure that Le M's items were clean, intact and free from rips and stains but it may have been that Oakland Elizabeth House just didn't have the staff time to accept the items. Not accepting used donations is not a measure of how well an organization is doing. Often it is the smaller, more financially strapped organizations that cannot accept used items. *Tips for making donations to an organization: 1) Contact them to make sure it is something they need. 2) If you wouldn't give the item(s) to a friend, don't give them to a stranger. This is a fabulous organization supporting women and children at a time when they need it the most. I am looking forward to volunteering more of my time here in the future.