This is a review of the Anacortes Salvation Army's food bank service. They have many other services…read moreas well as church functions, but the food bank is the only one I've ever had experience with. It is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-3:45. You can come once a month. You can go in for bread, I believe, as often as you need. First, I would like to say that I really appreciate the people and the service provided at the food bank. They really help people who are down on their luck, so to speak, and need a helping hand to get back on their feet. The way the food bank works is first, you have to sign up. You do this by bringing in IDs and address verification (a piece of mail, for example) for everyone in the household. If you have children, bring in their birth certificates. The good thing is that once you are in their system, you stay in their system even if you do not go for a year here and there. It is all computerized. After you sign up, you come in and take a number from the table in the middle of the room and wait to be called. Once called, you sit down with the intake specialist who will ask you whether you need toilet paper, a bar of soap, dog or cat food, and anything else specific. They try to meet specific needs if they have it in the back. Once your order is taken, you go back and sit down (yes, there are lots of chairs) and wait for your name to be called by the workers in the back. They will roll your groceries out on a cart that you can use to take the food to your car. The Salvation Army is very disability friendly with chairs and carts to help people who can't stand very long or carry things very far. While you wait to have your number or your name called, you can browse the bread and produce in the front room and take as much as you need. There is usually a free table as well that has odd things on it or expired things that need to go right away. The Anacortes Salvation Army gets an A+ for helping persons in need with food and for providing a disability friendly environment. The workers are very kind and compassionate, make eye contact, and smile. I highly recommend their services to supplement your food if you find yourself in an emergency.

I went to go drop off food at the food bank but I did not realize it was Presidents' Day on the…read more21st but I just wanted to make sure that the food you know that I'm not eating could be used to get used to someone I took all the expired food out though because I didn't feel comfortable giving expired food

I love this YMCA. I'm a brand new member, so take this review with a grain of salt, but…read more.. There seems to be a great sense of community here. They have a fairly large climbing wall with a variety of difficulty levels. Pickle ball league seems very active and interesting. The pool is kinda small, but there's always a swim lane available to me when I go. The spin/cycling room is ridiculously small but it seems to work. I have yet to try other classes but there's such an awesome variety: yoga, tai chi, boot camp, Step aerobics, etc. But I don't see enough people taking advantage of their access to all the experts who work here. For example, they have a free orientation session for all new members to familiarize patrons with the exercise equipment. A wonderful lady named Mary gives the tutorials for the weight machines and can answer any other questions you might have. And she's amazing and so knowledgeable and patient and kind--and just a wonderful teacher. Other than that, the only drawbacks are the small parking lot, and it can be kinda smelly. It's an old building but they're doing some construction right now, so it might be nicer in a couple months. If you can't climb/descend stairs, then forget it. This place is not for you... But it's an all around great gym with tons to offer. And great people working here.

Would not recommend the gym here, the people (not the service the service was amazing!) were not…read morevery nice. I tried this gym with two of my friends, we were doing leg day. I would yap with them while I was resting between sets but would try and keep it short to be able to finish using the machine. Someone comes up to me and says something along the lines of are you using this machine while i was getting up to switch with my friend. I said yes I have one more set and my friend is just starting. They tell us to stop talking so much and hurry up, we say sorry and let him use the machine to avoid any trouble. They walks away and another person goes up to them and says I glad you said something they are taking too long. On another occasion, someone was rushing us off machines by standing and watching us workout. It was very awkward and I will not be going back!

If you're over 50, what are you waiting for?! The Bellingham…read moreSenior Activity Center is a true gem in our community. Whether you're looking to stay active, meet new people, or just have a good time, this place has something for everyone. They offer a huge variety of fitness classes, a well-equipped gym, and active hiking and biking groups that explore the beautiful Pacific Northwest. If you're more into arts, crafts, or thoughtful conversation, there are discussion groups and craft classes too. Feeling like giving back? There are plenty of volunteer opportunities to get involved in meaningful ways. And for those 60 and over, nutritious lunches are available five days a week, just a suggested contribution. Inside, you'll also find a cozy library, lots of puzzles, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy to connect and feel at home. Whether you're new to the area or have lived here for years, the Bellingham Senior Activity Center is absolutely worth checking out. It's more than a center, it's a community.

This review was based on my experience related to the exercise room and facility manager. While…read moreother experiences at this facility were good, the following describes why my overall review is completely negative. Some of their equipment is old and malfunctioning. The breaking point was that I asked the manager to let me help get a new elliptical machine with movable upper arm handles donated to the facility, but she refused. She said she'd "look into it," but never took effective action. I dropped my membership and won't go back until she's gone or they make improvements.

The Anacortes 100 food bank is an excellent organization. I highly recommend it to folks who are…read morestruggling to meet their day to day food needs for themselves or for their families. Let's look at the basic fundamentals of how it works at Anacortes 100 food bank. First, you will show up once a week on either a Tuesday or a Friday from 10am-2pm. If you are new, next to the sign in sheet is a sign up sheet. Fill that out and give it to a volunteer behind the door. Rarely will a live person be out in the front to check you in. You will just sign in on the sign in sheet. Second, you will grab your bag of food. If you have a large family, they may give you two bags. Just ask how many you get if you are new to the program and have a large family. I have a family of 2, and I get one bag. Sometimes, they will have extra meat or dairy category additions, and a volunteer will ask you if you want it or not. This might take the form of milk, eggs, pork, or chicken. Third, after receiving your bag, check out the isle of bread and produce. Take what you can use. As far as I know, there is no official limit, but just keep in mind that there are others in line as well that need to have something to pick from. In other words, take as much as you need right now and not as much as your big empty freezer at home can take if you see what I mean. The produce is often past its prime, but it is sometimes usable. You just have to be dedicated to picking through it and be willing to cut off bad spots to eat the rest of the nutritious fruit or veggie. Sometimes there are extras also located on the two isles next to the food door, and you can usually take as much of that as you can use as well. The last example I remember is coconut water in several flavors. Fourth, there are shopping carts that you can take down to your car if you end up grabbing more than you can carry. Just be sure to return them, as there is no volunteers available to find and return missing carts. Once again, you can go once a week on either Tuesday or Friday. There is usually some special distribution for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For Thanksgiving this year, they handed out a food bag and a $25 gift certificate for meat at the local Safeway. What you are able to actually get each year for Thanksgiving or Christmas greatly depends on the funding they receive and the donations of local establishments. This may not be a thing you can count on next year, but I was blessed to have it happen to me this year. Thank you Anacortes 100!! Let's talk briefly about the line. It is usually longest in the morning when it opens as far as my experience goes. The line does not move very fast as there is really only enough room inside the small establishment for one or two clients at a time. Each client can take up to 5-10 minutes at times. This being the case, I usually come a little later than 10 so that I do not have to wait in the cold (more of a factor now in the winter). Last item I want to discuss is commodities. These are government surplus items that are given out once a month by the food bank. Usually this is an extra bag worth of food (at least it was in my experience so far, in truth, it probably varies in quantity). They give these out on the first Friday of every month. This is the only day that it might be worth trying to get there early as they do run out. I hope this post alleviates any fears of what it will be like going to the food bank and how its process works. At least, this is what I usually hated in going to new food banks was all the uncertainty of how to sign up and how it all works. I also hopes this inspires locals to contribute to this local cause through donations of food and money. It serves many individuals and families throughout Anacortes with basic necessities to get through the week with at least some food. Thank you Anacortes 100 for your good work!

Local American Legion that is heavily involved in the community. Helping veterans and helping the…read moreBellingham community

A friendly Vet hangout for sure with a great staffed bar & welcoming environment from the time you…read morewalk in the door. TACO NITE! Mexican done right ... SAL knows how. Thanx to John, Susie & "crew" putting together the monthly feast.

We have these same resale stores where I live but they operate slight different. This is the…read moresmallest version I've been in, but it was packed with some nice finds! I picked up a bone chain Wedgewood teapot. Super cute!

Shockingly nice thrift store! Not what I was expecting at all. Beautiful items, well displayed, at…read moregreat prices. And friendly, fun staff. What more could you ask for?

I have never seen so much green! In its 11th year, this…read moreevent is a well-oiled machine After checking out the beautiful raffle prizes and gift baskets, I eagerly scanned the room for my favorite game-roulette. Oh no, I was told they didn't have it this year, but I quickly found solace at the Craps table. Even though I had no idea how to play, I rolled the dice anyway. I made the festive table happy by throwing winning numbers after winning numbers. Now it was time for the highly-anticipated raffle dash (and you really must dash) for all the wonderful prizes-massages, restaurant, hotel stays, car repairs, coffee...something for everyone! Each game table was sponsored by a local business, the hotel prepared the tasty appetizer buffet and Costco provided the desserts. The MC shared some personal stories from the kids and what Blue Skies is all about. A fun evening out for a great cause. This event is suitable for couples as well as singles. The only thing missing was an Elvis impersonator. He would have felt right at home at this mini Vegas in Bellingham!

So much fun! What a great evening and fun event! Playing black jack, winning prizes, and sharing…read morelaughs with friends, all for such a great cause to raise money for foster kiddos in need here in our community with Blue Skies for Children. This event was so well organized, decorated, and had the funnest and friendliest staff to help us win big and have a great time for such a great cause! There were St. Patty's Day necklaces and headbands for fun to wear to add green to your outfit, delicious appetizers and desserts, full no host bar, and awesome volunteers making this event so much fun! The games tonight were Black Jack, Poker, and Craps. And I can't forget to mention the raffle dash! So many amazing prizes, gift certificates, wine & beer to run up and grab if your name is called. They also had big prizes for the top 5 "high roller winners" of the night. I had luck in winning a pair of free tickets from @Yelp Bellingham, who was also a sponsor for tonight's event. Thank you to Jennifer Jones for Yelp being a sponsor for this great event and for the raffle to win a pair of free tickets! This was so much fun and absolutely plan to go again next year! #yelpbellingham #blueskiesforchildren #helpingourcommunity