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!

A small, but interesting nature center in Hayward, CA, similar to the Lindsay Wildlife Experience…read morein Walnut Creek, but this one is quite a bit smaller and more "wild" in that it's basically all outdoors. The animals we saw that were rescued, rehabilitated, and now permanently residing here were mostly birds, with some reptiles and bugs thrown in. We actually didn't interact with any staff while we were here in the early afternoon, but we did see a couple of them working. It's more of a self-tour type of place it seems, rather than a guided tour experience, so we just walked around and looked at the different kinds of animals. We saw several hawks, a few owls, some ducks and chickens, and then we went into this building the size of a small house which houses the reptiles and bugs. We saw snakes, lizards, and a few bugs. My kids got a kick out of seeing all the wild animals. It's also nice that they take in injured wild animals and rehabilitate them so they can live out their lives there or maybe they go to other nature centers or zoos if the opportunities come up, rather than end up not surviving in the wild. All in all, this nature center was pretty cool for a casual short visit and it's free so the price was right, a good way to spend some time in the "wilderness."

Spacious parking lot, with a stairway leading down to this nature preserve and rehabilitation…read morecenter for injured animals. We enjoyed viewing and reading about the various creatures on site in their separate enclosures, some up on a higher level with steps you can climb, others inside the discovery center building. Birds, great horned owls, turkey vulture, ducks, chickens, horse, goats, gray fox, coyote, reptiles, amphibians, and of course adorable bunnies, my fave! I loved exploring with my bf at our own pace without any crowds, in fact I only saw 2-3 other people there on a Saturday afternoon, probably cuz it's hidden in a residential neighborhood. Such a lovely find with easy access and free entry. There are also seating and picnic areas to make use of while appreciating the serene environment.

First off let me start by saying FESCO is not a homeless shelter. its more like a homeless program…read more The residents go to counseling and skill developing classes . The thing that makes FESCO special is that they take fathers and teenage boys. Other shelters do not. A father would have to give his kids up to CPS and live on the streets while at FESCO he and his family could live happily and get on the road to success. A mother would have to make the difficult decision of living on the streets as a family or letting her son live on the streets buy himself. No mom should ever have to make that decision. If they go to FESCO, they don't. Please support FESCO fo they support our community and unfortunate neighbors. CALL FESCO. They will happily set you up to volunteer. DONATE. Get your circle of friends together and do something for the community. REMEMBER. FESCO needs donations all year. Not only during the holiday season. FESCO geta a ton of items in December. The residents are homeless all other 11 months. 10.00 buys 2days of food $15.00 provides a day of shelter and food for a child $20.00 provides 5 days of food for a child The littlest of donations can make a huge difference in someones life. PLEASE DONATE!!!!!

From the owner: Banyan House - 8 units of transitional housing for homeless families, who pay 30% of their adjusted…read moreincome as rent and may stay for up to 10 months; average stay is 4-5 months

I love the fact I can just drive up and drop and go. And not have to make an appointment or worry…read moreif they will take everything I bring. The staff are very friendly and helpful.

Extra Discounts depending on day. Senior discounts on Tuesdays…read more Student discount on Friday. Every other Saturday is 50% off. Prices are now reasonable compared to prior years where charging department store prices for free items. Located off of Mission . Limited parking lot or street parking. Some Employees are pleasant, Some nicer then others. Depends on who rings you up as older Lady double charges you for items & when you question She won't remove the charge. Will now have to drive back to correct error. - make sure to bring your own bags & sanitize hands after you sift through items.

TAGS opened where The Shoe Place once was . TAGS is a non-profit community service org. whose goal…read moreis "serving teens and young adults through creative reuse programs". All proceeds generated are used to for teenadvocacy.org Offerings: clothes, shoes, accessories, artisans' creations.... Was greeted warmly, cordially by team leaders Haley & Ian. Obviously most of the clothes weren't my size. Was introduced to a rad XL shirt that had a ridiculous price ($7). Sadly, it wasn't a fit. May have been a women's XL. Labels were removed. The artisan creations looked interesting. Don't know where i can put them. Will return to check out shirts... Street parking only. TAGS is on a corner.

Super nice people they have really really nice stuff for a small thrift shop!…read more again super sweet..

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.

Going, going, gone. I've been coming to this place over the span of a couple years to remove my…read moretattoo and I had my last session today. Rosalind did such a great job, taking consideration for my skin tone and safe and effective removal. The price was very affordable and I've always been seen promptly. I would highly recommend coming here for your services.

Affordable and quick tattoo removal You do have a small…read morewindow o get on the schedule for the month but the with the rates they offer I really don't mind

Chapter 510's workspaces are as suitable as any in all of Oakland to hold literary group meetings…read moreand literary events. Their staff is experienced, knowledgeable and incredibly helpful

If you seek whimsy; if your house crest shines bright in a thousand shades of Bic-pen ink; if you…read morefear neither lava floor tiles nor sand in your boots, seek out Oakland's Department of Make Believe! I visited the brand-spanking-new and super-cool space on December's First Friday, and it was poppin'. A local band jammed on the pulpit-turned-stage; guests milled and chatted and sketched on huge slices of paper spread out on the tables; the organization's founders buzzed and zipped around, offering plastic bubbles with paper slips inside, fortune-cookie style - prompts to capture conversations with fellow make-believers. (There were also enchiladas and rice and beans, but I don't think that's an always-thing.) The nonprofit takes cues from like-minded writing centers like 826 and NaNoWriMo, but is by no means cookie-cutter. With inspirational merchandise whose packaging is a meld of 1960s cereal boxes and high-tech spy gear, an ACTUAL CHALKBOARD WALL that covers the entire east side of the ginormous writing room, and a sandbox populated by superheroes and smallish plastic animals, the atmosphere is of the "I'm-never-leaving" kind. And that's not even taking into account the stellar staff and what they do there. The org's mission is to help Oaklandish youths unleash their creativity, and their aesthetic hits the nail on the head: whimsical, engaging, a little tongue-in-cheek, it's sure to draw in scads of writers looking to express themselves through zany mediums like sassed-up waiting room forms, collective collages, and story prompts popped out of gumball machines. Basically: mount your steed/your Huffy/the 72M bus and GET THERE! (Appointments frowned upon and poked hard with a stick.)

I am so thankful to Kelly for helping me save a tiny bird!…read more Somehow a little bird got stuck on a rat glue board that was in my garage. I didn't see it until 4+ hours later. I was panicking and didn't know what to do! Called San Ramon PD, Animal control, some wildlife rescues, 6-7 vets but no one was able to help me. I poured a lot of oil over the bird and was able to get his feet free, but I was too scared to do anything more. My SIL then left a message for Ohlone Humane Society. Kelly called her back right away and informed her that they will close in the next few minutes, but I can bring the bird to her house. Took me 30 min to go from SR to Fremont - kept checking on the bird to make sure he was alive! Kelly was able to remove the bird from the trap in just about a minute. The bird was ready to fly away but Kelly said she will keep him for 2-3 weeks or until he grows his feather back and then release him. I am soo glad Kelly called us back right away; she was his only hope. Thank you Kelly for going out of your way to save the little guy!

I have donated to this organization several times. When I…read moreneeded help the trapped doesn't even have the common courtesy to contact me back. If he can't trap I asked for a loaner trap. I can trap and do it myself there are 2 feral cats tipped ear and an older kitten out here being physically abused by a neighbor here . Kitten I may be able to get without trap. The 2 others no. I have placement for all of them and I am their feeder and I'm moving.