They reached out and ask a few questions about my health and my needs and also promptly told me a…read moreprobable time line on when I would be receiving my package. Very respectful and no charge. I really appreciate it too. It really helps so very much. We just need to be cautious of the scammers that are making it bad using their platform. It really is shameful to do this while so many are in need.

I was told Helping Hands Senior Foundation had the resources to provide a blood pressure monitor…read moreand wheel chair for my elderly parent. Before they could assist they asked for Medical#, Medicare#, SS# and DOB, after they received this personal information they emailed a list of businesses with address, phone#, online links for me to get the resources from them. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF GETTING SENIORS MEDICAL#, MEDICARE#, SS# and DOB WHEN YOU ARE NOT GIVING THE RESOURCES WE ASKED FOR BUT INSTEAD YOU ARE JUST GIVING INFORMATION. THIS IS A RED FLAG FOR FRAUD.

I love this place. There are many worthy charities in LA, but this one is by far my favorite. The…read morestaff are all very welcoming and friendly, the administration is dedicated, and they all share a passion for helping those in need. They have built a community of more than just great volunteers, but also of the ones they serve. They greet them by name, know their stories and treat them with dignity and respect day in and day out, even when no one is watching. If you're looking for a great place to be a part of, I highly recommend coming here. The joy is infectious and I always leave with a smile on my face.

***This a message for those intending to volunteer with the St. Francis Center (DTLA), it's lengthy…read morebut worth the read*** This is nothing but an advisory service for those considering to volunteer with DTLA St. Francis mission. I wish not to deter or negate the intentions of the entire organization based on the actions of a few. There are genuinely good people and purpose being performed within this organization. With that said, I was recently dismissed from being able to volunteer with this mission. You might be asking yourself, how does one possibly get fired from a volunteer position that they signed up for? In my instance, it had nothing to do with my work ethic, timeliness, or understanding of the tasks at hand. (We were distributing food and clothing to the locals in need, absolutely not a complex concept whatsoever.) However, during my short stint volunteering with St. Francis I realized quickly that the management was somewhat dismissive of new volunteers which was masked as being overworked and overburdened. In most cases, running such a huge operation which can effect an entire communities functionality would be understandable. Unfortunately, I was personally met with this attitude and energy regularly. Despite that being the case, that didn't stop my enthusiasm or willingness to work diligently in order to positively impact the lives of those in need. I chose St. Francis for a reason, regardless of the circumstances of the people they serve they do so with seemingly compassionate intent. Unfortunately for me, an ill-timed joke made an organization possibly question the morality of their normalized "business" practices. Just days into my experience, I made a comment about some of the employees picking out donated items for their own personal use. In this realm of work, I'm completely aware that this is a common (and unspoken) practice amongst a plethora of donation organizations. It's shitty and in bad taste but it happens. Personally, it's not a big deal to me, it doesn't effect my well-being or sleep at night. My comments (which were in pure joking spirit and I thought were harmless) must have been overheard because I was approached by the director of the volunteer department. I was told by this person that the employees at the mission were allowed first dibs at the clothing, apparel, and miscellaneous items donated to the organization, to which I replied simply "I don't care." Said leader responded, "It sounded like you did, it would be better you not say anything at all." Shameless, nasty, rude. I completed my responsibilities, helped clean the areas I was assigned to and continued about my day proud of my participation with St. Francis Center. Sadly, later that afternoon I received an email claiming that I was 'not a good fit' at the mission and that I would no longer be allowed to volunteer with the organization. Initially confused and somewhat disappointed, I went on to laugh and laugh about the ridiculous circumstances bestowed upon me. The dismissal of my services from St. Francis Center won't hinder me from helping this particular part of town or community. (Mind you, there are a multitude of other organizations in the same area that do similar work and are seemingly more inviting, it can all be considered subjectively.) Regardless of my personal experience St. Francis' mission is genuine. Just be aware that those in positions of power in regards to their volunteer department may have some tyrannical and not so pleasant traits that rear their ugly heads from time to time. Do the work for yourself if you choose to volunteer here, in the end, righteousness will always prevail. God bless.

My daughter Ariel did a year at the Dream Center after struggling for years with depression and…read moreself-medication (heroin) after losing a boyfriend in high school. She graduated in 2015, and at that time I gave a 5-star review because I noticed big positive changes in her. I thought it would be nice to give an update since it has been close to 7 years since she graduated. Prior to the Dream Center, it was difficult for me to be around her because she had so much anger and she just wanted to argue with me about anything and everything. Since the Dream Center, she has been a pleasure to be around and not once in 7 years have we argued, or had even so much as a disagreement of words. She lived with me for the first year after the Dream Center. She was quick to find a job and began chasing her dream of becoming a dog groomer. She was 24 at this time, and prior to this, had never had a job but once for a couple of months. She began dating a boy from our church (who also attended the Dream Center - yes this is how they met) and 6 months later they were engaged, and 6 months after that married. I was concerned when she got married and moved into an apartment for the first time. I figured they would be coming to me asking for money to help them with the rent. But in 7 years they haven't asked me for a cent. A couple years later, they she said they were looking to buy a house. Honestly, I thought it was a pipe dream of theirs because they didn't' have good credit (bad from previous life). But God worked miracles and they bought a house only 10 minutes from where I live. Again, a couple years later, they announced they were going to open a mobile dog grooming business. Again, I didn't' think they could do it because the truck was over $100K. I suggested they consider a store because it would be a smaller investment for them to start up. But God had other plans, and they opened their mobile dog grooming business on February 14, 2020. Yes, February 2020. A month before the Covid shutdowns in California. But once again, God had a plan for them, it was mobile grooming because when all the brick and mortars closed, they were able to operate and within two months they were turning away business. It was also about this time that they announced they were having a baby, and on October 25, 2021 Camille was born. During these 7 years, Ariel and her husband have been very involved in the church they attend, and serve regularly on the worship team (Ariel lighting and her husband on the drums). They also regularly attend Celebrate Recovery which is a wonderful program for anyone struggling with hurts, hang-ups and habits. The Dream Center turned my daughter's life around. It changed her, for the better. She jokes occasionally and says she was brainwashed at the Dream Center. It wasn't easy for her, lots rules and structure. She had to sacrifice a lot of what she thought was important to her. But she doesn't regret it and has a lot of fond memories of the friendships that she formed while there. I highly recommend the Dream Center to anyone who is struggling in life. There is no denying the miracles that God did and continues to work in my daughter's life. Without the Dream Center, Ariel would have never understood how to have a relationship with Jesus, and have faith in God, and hope again. She didn't see a future before the Dream Center. But when she left, she saw all the possibilities and she went after them. I am excited to see where God leads her life next. I know there is more greatness to come. Thank you Dream Center for turning around my daughter life.

Came here in the late 90, s. And I am glad I left. Was never homeless never strung out on drugs or…read morefresh out of prison just a kid looking for encouragement and to be ministered to but was treated like homeless strung out felon . Program was weird, take everything from you and trust you with contemp every second. The guy that ran the place was a bully treated people like crap. Had stuff stolen from me from the drug addicts they had there . I was told it was a good program from a pastor that was the old pastor of the church I went to back then. It was more of a halfway house than anything . My experience was less than inspirational. Hope it's changed but the reviews I've read looks like it's the same.

This place is amazing. The people that run it are amazing. They save lives of young people children…read moreand adults of all types going through human trafficking and are always there to help. They've helped me with so much. Miss Ventura is an angel as well as the founder and everybody else running Children Of The Night because of them I have my GED, which I am also on the picture from the very first Children Of The Night ‍‍ graduation ceremony

Dr Lee is the best with her resources She the best thing…read morethat happened to me But her staff Mayra and Victoria are soo rude and disrespectful it just makes it hard to ask for help when dealing with people that don't care 5 stars because it's not Dr Lee fault

What can I say other thank thank you, y'all helped me in so many ways back in my days from writing…read morea resume n helping change my bad habits. Happy n glad y'all are still going strong n helping the homeless youth n I hope they appreciate all you guys do for them in the long run

Here's a dirty secret about Hollywood: it ain't really all that glamorous…read more I mean, sure--there are the premieres and the clubs. Some overpriced restaurants. But behind all of the glitzy glam, there's a lot more to see. A part of that is youth homelessness. There are 10,000 homeless youth living in Los Angeles. My Friend's Place helps about 1,800 of them per year; gives them food, a safe place to be during the day, educational opportunities, and case management. They're truly grassroots--100% privately funded, run by a dedicated group of folks, many of whom have been there for many, many years. It's one of those hidden-gem organizations that more folks should know about. They do incredible work with limited resources. Check 'em out and get involved!

Guardians of love provides training courses for those who want to Froster a child. I took my…read moreclasses in 2019. I have been trying to reenroll in a course however no one has contacted me.

The amount of they have for the youth and community is powerful…read more I attended their back to school event and I have never experienced anything that amazing for foster youth.

What a fabulous organization! I found them through Volunteer match and was immediately drawn to…read morethem for 3 reasons -flexible, structured periods of time to volunteer. They don't give you an 8 hour window where you are required to attend - the food collected goes to local food organizations to feed the homeless throughout LA - it's a great excuse to get outdoors & get some exercise! Motivation I love the entire concept of this organization. It is challenging for the impoverished to get access to fresh fruit and produce. A low income man in the Midwest a few months ago went to the hospital and was diagnosed with Scurvy! Yes, like the pirates illness. Why? He was only eating cheap, frozen meals 3x a day for the past 18 mos., no fruit or produce, and was severely vitamin C deficient! MDs diagnosis, not mine. Access to healthy fruits and veggies is critical to health but can be challenging given the expense. In comes hero organization Food Forward! They pair up with local home owners who have excess fruit or veggies. They have volunteers come out to "pick" their excess fruit. The fruit is then taken to local food banks in the area and distributed outward. How cool is that? I spent 1.5 hrs with them picking grapefruit in Woodland Hills. It was such a fun way to volunteer my time but manageable enough to fit into my schedule. I loved it and look forward to volunteer with this terrific organization again in the future. Check them out!

I recently found out about Food Forward through the volunteer program at my job, they're a non…read moreprofit organization that works with private home owners & public companies picking fruit that normally won't be harvested & donated them to those in need. I got to work with them at their annual summer harvest at CSUN in Northridge, in two hours we gathered 5000 pounds of oranges to benefit MEND poverty in Pacoima, Family rescue center in Canoga Park, and Seeds of Hope in Los Angeles through the Episcopal Church. If you're looking for volunteer opportunities or you're a home owner that has a fruit tree that is rarely harvested you should look up Food Forward.

I enjoyed my very first visit to Operation Gratitude about a month ago! I helped out in their…read morewarehouse with installing shipping boxes to ready them for putting items in them, and then later placing items in those care packages. It all took place over 3 hours. I was first very aware of the great things they do through becoming more familiar with veterans-based organizations at my workplace. I signed up to volunteer through the UCLA Volunteer Center for its December 2018 "One Bus, One Cause" event there. I was among about 800 volunteers from various groups who participated that day. Some things to remember before you go in to volunteer there: * Parking is limited, so you may want to carpool, be dropped off, or park down the street and walk up * Photo ID to show to security * Keep your possessions in your car; they don't have a place to store your items * Sign a release waiver (they have it on their website) * Lead volunteers in the blue shirts do provide handy tips to make your job easier, so do keep an open mind * Various jobs while there: Fill care packages (most popular), make paracord bracelets, stuff teddy bears for the kids of our troops, write letters to our troops, or perform a quality review of those letters I may try the paracord bracelets or stuffing bears on my next visit!

Returning volunteer here from located in Encino days. It's great place to volunteer except power…read moretripping middle age women. I wanted to grab a cup of coffee before starting to volunteer. However, this middle age woman stopped me that it's not good time right now. Making or grabbing a cup of coffee is not good time!!!! Not sure who put her in charge of break room. Huge turn off, I am not in her house or personal space!!!! I will be returning to volunteer , but will avoid her.