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.

Monday Night Mission is a group that feed the homeless on Skid Row. They initially started off by…read morefeeding the homeless on Monday nights and now go to feed the homeless Monday through Friday night. Monday Night Mission began as a group formed by Mel T. The group posts via facebook daily when they will meet, the time and place they gather. While they do not ask for donations, they are always readily accepted. The times that I went, a beautiful group of Sikh's brought food to feed the homeless. The group begins by meeting in a parking lot at a Burger King on the corner of Ceasar Chavez and Grand. There, sandwiches are prepared and organized. About an hour later, Mel T. holds a group meeting and offers information and instructions. There are people who are regulars and he appoints them specific duties. Everyone carpools down to Skid Row and parks on the street. Tables are set up and the feeding begins. It's all fairly organized. Afterwards, if there is any food left, the regulars will take a group into the Midnight Mission and distribute the food there. When it's all over, everyone goes back to Burger King (where permission is granted to leave cars there without fear of them being towed away) and there's a quick debriefing and a photo is taken of that night's group. I've met some pretty wonderful people volunteering with this group. I left for personal reasons. Anyone going should be made aware that you're going into skid row late at night, and not everyone will be happy to see you. You might make some connection with the homeless, but only if you're a regular. I want to be able to serve the homeless still, but on a safer level and to a greater capacity then just waiting in the back of a line to be called up to hand someone food for 5 minutes. In January of 2013 there was a drug resistant strain of TB that broke out among the homeless population in downtown Los Angeles. I don't know how the breakout is doing now, but it's good to be aware of what exposure you're up against. Also, Mel T. will let you know that you're going into "the most dangerous part of the country, not far from crack alley, shootings and stabbings are common". You have been warned. I believe in acts of kindness towards others, I believe in not passing judgement, and I also believe in my own safety. My two star rating stands, and while I don't want to discourage anyone ever from volunteering to help the homeless in downtown Los Angeles I do believe that there are better ways.

What a life changing and eye opening experience. I've never volunteered much in my life but…read morerecently I looked into finding a place to do some goodwill and Monday night missions came up in my yelp search. You need to connect with the group on Facebook and let them know you are coming. They meet at 7:30 pm. I met some friendly and interesting people during the sandwich making. Mel had a meeting in the parking lot letting everyone know how it was going to be when we got to Skid Row. There are strict rules to follow for your own safety so please pay attention. I never felt in danger at any time and was quite amazed at the people I saw skid row. They had genuine smiles on their faces, good manners and a lot, not all, appeared healthy looking. Some were young and if you didn't see them on skid row you would never know they were homeless. The people on skid row still have their souls and it was beautiful to witness and I couldn't help but think of the Bible verse "so the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. The people on skid row were not hungry for food or greedy. They're just people that need shelter, a shower and someone to lean on. Monday Night Mission is doing something to make the world a better place and hopefully I'll be a better person after my experience on skid row tonight. Mel can be harsh with his words but I'll take that any day over someone who might not have his passion. He is clearly dedicated and is fighting for a good cause.

Went smoothly and quick thank you!!! The guy in there was super helpful by helping me take out bags…read moreof clothes :)

Great place to donate items. I called beforehand and made sure that they were open and was able to…read moredonate stuff. The whole process was easy. You enter through their garage, where a friendly security guard helps guide you through the process. They also provide donation receipts if needed. They accept almost everything, including men's and women's clothing, books, shoes, and unbroken kitchenware. The only items they don't accept are children's clothing. The security guard let us know that the donations go directly to people experiencing homelessness, and there is also a women's recovery center upstairs that many of the items support. It feels much better donating here compared to street donation bins that often get tampered with. Highly recommend donating here if you're looking for a meaningful place to give back and wanting to donate your items.

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.

Last Saturday the ministry I work for came in and volunteered at their "clothing store" to help…read morethose affected by the Los Angeles fires, and it was amazing! I had never heard of this place before but it's truly an amazing place! The name is very fitting for the amazing work that is done here. Their store was filled with brand new items (many popular brands) fitting every style and size. They also include necessities such as backpacks, shoes, toilet paper, etc and the rule is YOU CAN TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU NEED! Usually there's a limit but not here, they provide you with trash bags and you can take as much as needed. They also have an area for groceries, toys, hot food, and so much more! It was truly amazing working here and seeing so many families being helped. There were so many volunteers and so much resources being passed out, I've never see anything like it. I recommend this place for anyone who is having a tough time, facing homelessness, job loss, etc to seek this place out. They also help with finding housing and schooling. Such a valuable place to the city of Los Angeles!

What a fantastic organization! If you are looking for a worthy cause to give to, if you are looking…read moreto make an impact on the horrors of poverty and systemic tragedy, if you are wondering if you can really make a difference, School on Wheels provides answers!!! Give them a phone call or visit. Eventually, you may find yourself volunteering and providing answers to the larger problems in our world today, in a most salient, profound, and enduring method: one human interaction at a time. Long Live School on Wheels!

Happy to say I've continued volunteering with School on Wheels. I've made it to three years now and…read moreI am currently matched with a fourth grade girl who is amazing. In my time tutoring for School on Wheels, I've been matched with three different kids, including a high school boy at one point. I have learned much from each experience and valued the opportunity to work with kids. I hope the kids are getting something out of it too! ;)

Looking for a place to volunteer your time or other useful resources? Well, this place helps…read morehomeless families get on their feet. I helped with a quick renovation project to get the home ready for a family of 11 to come and stay. There's not much else I can say because I was busy working my project, but now that I know about this place, I'd definitely like to help out more in the future if I'm around the Pasadena area!

Door of Hope is an amazing Foundation. True angels, helping families find housing or stay in their…read morecurrent home. They are easy to get ahold of and very responsive. Thank you Door of Hope!

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!

Have donated my childrens books to this company.they seem very friendly and nice.am coming to meet…read morethem in september MG Author of childrens books

Just letting anyone know that if you are homeless and need a place to go, the Union Recuse Mission…read moreis a pretty good place to stay for a few days, just be Careful when eating the food in the Dining room, check the expiration date if you're giving a sandwich the sandwiches donated by Starbucks are badly outdated. The bathrooms in the Men's Dorm and Women's Dorm isn't kept very clean. I stayed there for about 5 weeks and no real assistance from staff but a lot of bullshit. Case Manager Mr. James is pretty nice but some of the other no so nice. So unfortunately I'm not giving any Star review or thumbs up but a thumbs down . Unfortunately no pictures to add..