I think everybody should volunteer as much as they can. Second Harvest is a great place to…read morevolunteer! It truly makes such a difference when we come together as a community to help those in need. They make everything so easy and everyone here is always so welcoming! Stephanie and Jason are the two that are usually in the front helping you check in, so I have been able to talk to them the most. They both have such kind hearts and always make sure your experience here is great. Everything works smoothly here and the staff explain what to do perfectly. You start by watching a video that talks more about what Second Harvest is and what to expect during your volunteer shift. My personal favorite is grocery rescue, which is where you go to the cooler in the back and sort the good and the bad items that they receive from grocery stores. There are plenty of other options, depending on the day, like order pulling, crate washing, processing, bag cutting, etc. These are just some of the opportunities that they offer at the distribution center. They also have their own farm where you can spend your time picking the produce straight from the ground! Overall, this is such a great place to volunteer at. In the warehouse, they also show where all their products get distributed to. Below is a list of all the food banks in the area, if you ever need it!

This is a great place to volunteer if you want to do something good for others. The staff has…read morealways been nice and accommodating when giving me instructions. FYI You can also donate directly to the other website if you wish to contribute and can't volunteer your time. We need more places like this when so many people are dealing with food insecurity.

Lots of great finds at great prices!!awesome staff too!! Looking for jewelry, dishes, casual, or…read moreeven dressy outfits, I am always happy with my discoveries. Never disappointed!!

I frequent the parking lot sales at this location. I am not sure I will continue…read more.. This last time we tried to purchase advance tickets to get in earlier and were told at the Lake Forest store they didnt have them and didnt know what we were talking about. Ive also made the suggestion while people are waiting in line to go through and collect their payment and give them their bag so they dont get bottlenecked when they open, but they havent taken that advice to heart :) Anyway, the last couple sales, people are bringing in strollers without children in them, bags from home and all sorts of other chaos which makes this not fun. You can fill A BAG, that they give you, for $20. If you want more, you are supposed to pay for another bag, not fill every stroller and IKEA bag you can bring with you. And you have people who run in and just start scooping things up which is clearly a reseller, which, ok - you pay $20 and you fill your bag with whatever you want, but its not like that. Its become extremely less enjoyable... people ruin everything, haha! I have noticed they also bring things out throughout the sale rather than having it all out at the beginning. I just think it could be run much smoother and user friendly.

Today I feel extremely grateful, Thankful and humbled. Blessed for the opportunity that has been…read morepresented to me daily. I'm here at the friendship shelter to help serve & give check up's on the less fortunate & pass out blankets, jackets, clothes hygiene kits & Starbucks gift cards. After speaking with the coordinator I stood to serve Thanksgiving dinner. I loved getting to know everyone I came across & more interesting is that these individuals didn't choose to be homeless and not all fell to drugs some have mental illness some lost their jobs because of our economy nonetheless they shouldn't be judged or look down on but to be treated with respect kindness compassion and dignity because after all their human beings too. Who's to say that we could all fall on hard times too. God Bless You all & may the guardian angels surround them all & protect them from what we call life !

My husband and I were fortunate enough to be referred to Friendship Shelter when we became…read morehomeless. They are a great organization filled with caring, wonderful people. They gave us so much and asked for nothing in return. Once I located a place we would eventually be able to afford they provided our security deposit, and the pro-rated partial month for the following month. They even got us a fridge, furniture, and other beginning essentials for our place like a vacuum. They're crazy generous! The only reason I don't rate them higher is because when we first met them we were told they would taper off our rent until we were able to pay on our own. We are coming out of a nightmare place financially and we're counting on that so we could try to catch up and be able to actually do that. Well, they no longer can, and we're in serious danger of becoming homeless again. We fought so hard to get into this place, and now it looks like we're going to lose it after just a few weeks. Just be aware. Yes, they're great and helpful, and extremely generous, but you might be being set up to fall, like us.

Spring cleaning and I wanted to make sure my quality goods didn't go to waste. I have so much brand…read morenew work clothing or worn once bridesmaid dresses that I know can be helpful to someone else. I found Orange County Rescue Mission and I love the support they provide for the community so I decided I wanted to give my donations to them. Orange County Rescue Mission is open Friday to Wednesday from 8am-5pm, Closed Thursdays. They have a convenient area for you to drive up, and their volunteers are super nice and will be more than happy to help you lift and unload your donations. Donation receipts available upon request.

Honestly if I had known exactly how simple this process would be & how friendly and nice the people…read morethere had be, I probably would have gone a LOT sooner. I've previously had my donations picked up, or gone to donation bins, or dropped a few things off at Goodwill. Orange County Rescue Mission has a drive thru drop-off for your donations. I had 5 boxes, so a lovely gentleman brought a bin on wheels over and helped me put my boxes inside. He asked if I would need a receipt for my taxes but I politely declined. I do believe the items I donated had good value but I don't have much experience with taxes and previous receipts I've gotten usually end up missing by tax season. Prior to donating my things, I was able to go on their website and see exactly what items they accept. This helped a LOT because there were actually a lot of items I wouldn't have even considered donating like unused toiletries. I would probably try to give them to a family member or a friend of perhaps end up just tossing it away. I'm really glad they provide a list of acceptable items for donating!! I hope other people who wish to donate items really do READ lists such as this one, so they are aware of what can be donated. I just remembered people from my past who would try to donate opened foods, & insisted they were still good because they were non-perishables. Some people just don't know you can't donate ANYTHING. I don't understand people who donate things that they wouldn't use, if the same or similar item were donated to them (in the same manner). Some behaviors are perplexing. Anyway!! I LOVE this place and I'm currently working on filling up another 3 boxes. I'll have to go buy some more boxes so I can start sorting through my storage unit as well!! I do have a few questions on some items and what condition they must be in to be accepted for donation. I'm pretty sure they had a number on the same page that I could call and ask, which I will be doing, just haven't gotten around to it yet! I'm really happy I found this place & recommend others to donate items & volunteer here if they have the time! (:

You can count on bountiful, beautiful food served by dedicated staff and volunteers seven days a…read moreweek.

Great place that is feeding the poor. I recommend them. If you have any extra food, bring it to…read moretheir rear door and they will make good use of it.

A wonderful organization that helps families with critically ill children. My coworkers and I…read morehelped put together Thanksgiving baskets for over 50 families. They help the families by feeding them, subsidized housing, and counseling. Plenty of volunteer opportunities if you're looking for a meaningful experience. This is it.

Before I forget, I would just like to Say thank you so much…read moretoo Tyrone The owner and founder of Operation warm wishes. I was in desperate need of food and and reached out to Tyrone.And he said sure , come on in and he gave me over a week's worth of food. Also some laundry soap , This is not the 1st time, I just forgot to do a review. I am so blessed because he is close to me.And he's also someone good to talk to. I have been homeless before, and he completely understands and doesn't judge wherever you come from and even if you are homeless , he has and can get help for you or give you resources. So if you're looking to get some help ,Or would like to donate your time clothes or food, This would be the place . God Bless this place and everyone reading this There are no accidents or coincidences with the lord

One of the only fully functioning nonprofit that helps provide housing and other services as it is…read moreable. The number of other charities that instead of helping - out--- who send their issues for OWW to handle is disappointing. I wish the other charities should take a more active approach to meeting the needs. OWW has a limited budget and does not receive near the same funding as these other huge entities. If people only send funding to other organizations ... OWW cannot meet all the needs of every person referred to OWW. These $100,000 plus charities or multi million dollar charities know full well what they are doing when they refuse to assist and instead funnel those in need to OWW.... Fully understand what they are doing to OWW and its mission. It's disappointing to watch. When an Oprah charity takes in millions in donations yet it's OWW that is the one to step up with friends of the charity to do an entire school - every student for cold weather coats and jackets. OWW steps in and meets the needs. The CEO and founder has done this for 18 years. Doing huge and massive holiday events for people in need. Full Thanksgiving dinners and massive Christmas events for as many as they can. The amazing volunteers are what helps make things happen. Unpaid volunteers who make meals for 100's happen. OWW really cares and steps up in the instances they can. But it's a charity and it runs on the gifts, hard work and compassion of its ceo and founder... and the love and hard work of every volunteer, every Girl Scout who helps.. every one who steps in are the hands and hearts who help bring OWW into the lives of those in need.

My men's group decided to volunteer a shift here. The wait to find a open weekend spot for us all…read morewas a couple of months. When the morning arrived, we were met by a check-in person, who in turn gave us some quick notes and passed us off to get instructed/assigned to our tasks. There was plenty of staff to get us up to speed so that we could be productive (harvesting celery and onions). The time flew and at our first break, were informed of all the wonderful things that the farm does and who/how many people it reaches who are without food. A very rewarding experience and also a good workout. I hope to come back and volunteer again.

The Incredible Edible Farm at the Great Park is an urban farm where Second Harvest Food Bank grows…read morefresh produce to feed the hungry. Great place to volunteer and bring out your inner farmer. Volunteers of all ages are welcomed to help plant, weed, and harvest at the Incredible Edible Farm (by appointment only). The staff is friendly and delegates the tasks efficiently; they also monitor if you need help. For our shift, we pulled weeds, harvested cabbage leafs (for burrito wrap in place tortilla), and picked ripe oranges. Fun experience, the labor makes you appreciate and respect farmers and not waste any food! TIP: 1. This is a popular site which operates Tuesday-Saturdays, 8:30am-11:00am and 1:00pm-3:30pm. Saturday shifts fill out 6 months in advance! 2. Bring a pair of gardening gloves. 3. During cloudy/misty weather, wear waterproof clothing or stuff you don't mind getting wet and muddy. 4. Volunteer shifts continue if it drizzles a bit, but will terminate in downpour. 5. Take your break as needed.