A small-but-mighty organization that has stayed true to its mission for over 25 years!…read more In a nutshell, great people who do great things for the community and city :)

Help the homeless WHILE devouring delectable Truffles?!?!? Yep, you read right!…read more Last night, February 9th was the second time that I've volunteered At The Crossroads (ATC) through One Brick, a non-profit organization that makes volunteering easy with NO long-term commitment. Here's the link to my One Brick review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/one-brick-san-francisco#hrid:CnCnP7lsYhtMlxBnI6mPJw WHAT'S ATC? ATC is a wonderful organization that reaches out to homeless youths in the Mission and Tenderloin area through night time street outreach, one-on-one counseling services and collaboration with other social service agencies. The caring and compassionate staff at ATC refers to homeless youths as their "clients" which not only takes away the stigma some people may associate with the homeless but shows how much respect they have for them as a human being. During the street outreach, the counselors distribute food, healthcare products, and clothes which slowly helps to build a relationship with their clients. Through counseling, the counselors help their clients determine their short-term and long-term goals (i.e. finding housing, gaining employment, pursuing their passion, etc) and work with various social service agencies to help them achieve their goals. HOW DOES VOLUNTEERING HELP ATC? By helping to sort, organize, clean, and/or pack supplies to be distributed, it allows the counselors more face time with their clients. For example, if 25 volunteers help for 2 hours, counselors will have 50 ADDITIONAL HOURS to spend with their clients (instead of being bogged down with sorting/organizing/cleaning/packing the supplies themselves). HOW DO YOU VOLUNTEER FOR ATC? I signed-up through One Brick which takes less than 2 minutes. You register for an account, go on the calendar and RSVP for an event. The ATC event is called, "Supply Prep for the Homeless" and normally occurs one Wednesday a month from 6-8 PM. The event is limited to about 25 people and spaces get filled quickly, so make sure to sign-up at least one week prior. WHAT'S INVOLVED WHEN VOLUNTEERING FOR ATC? It's very simple, show up with a smile and a helping hand! :) When you enter ATC, you're greeted by a One Brick Event Manager who signs you in and gives you a nametag. Rob Gitin, Director & Co-Founder of ATC will then explain the various workstations and what's involved. Then, you can decide which activity you would like to partake in for the evening. ALL of the work is easy and not labor intensive. There are normally 4-5 stations: 1. CANDY PACKING (My Fav): Pack chocolates and other sweets donated from the SF Food Bank into small individual zip lock bags. 2. TOILETRIES PACKING: Pack soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, sanitary pads etc. 3. TIMBUK2 BAG CLEANING: ATC wants to ensure that all of their clients receive clean like-new items, so volunteers wash minor stains and grime off, trim extra thread/fabric and remove any debris stuck in the velcro. 4. SORT/FOLD/ORGANIZE CLOTHING: Sort through and fold t-shirts, outerwear and jeans, and organize by gender and sizes. All of the clothing is new and donated by Old Navy and Levis. 5. GREETING CARD MAKING: Utilize your artistic and decorative skills by making Birthday Cards and ones for special occassions. WHY YOU SHOULD VOLUNTEER FOR ATC? The two-hour volunteering events passes by very quickly especially when there's music playing in the background, other volunteers to chitchat with and yummy snacks (fresh cut Asian pears and TRUFFLES) being passed out by Rob. After every event, One Brick organizes a dinner nearby (e.g. Pancho Villa) where all volunteers are welcome and encouraged to join. This gives you a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and network outside of your social inner circle. You never know who you may meet right? Most importantly, just taking two hours out of your busy schedule will help to improve the quality of life for these youths and empower them to transform their lives! One of my 2011 resolutions was to volunteer at least 2 times a month and so far I've been successful thanks to ATC and One Brick... Thank you both, for not only make volunteering easy and fun but also giving me a NEW APPRECIATION FOR LIFE and THE GIFT OF HUMILITY!

Ruth Brinker started Project Open Hand in 1985 to provide meals to neighbors suffering from AIDS…read more Seven neighbors receiving food made with love became her mission where people with AIDS, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses as well as the elderly now receive meals and groceries. Seeing my son's ample free time one summer and the need for volunteers, I signed up my son for 10-15 hours a week. After school started, he continued volunteering 3 hours a week, filling in shifts as needed during breaks including holidays. It's not glamorous work, weighing and vacuum sealing beans, rice, chicken and other groceries, but it's important work: I emphasize that people rely on him to receive nutritious food they might not otherwise have. Giving back, caring about people, making time for others less fortunate, being selfless- these are qualities I've instilled in my son. He now enjoys the work, it feeds his soul. I'm proud he volunteers weekly for Project Open Hand for almost two years.

Here is a gem of a org that doesn't boast enough of its amazing work! they strive to provide some…read moreof the healthiest meals in the community. Big difference from the other non-profit food providers. The times that I have volunteered there, you get a sense that the employees really are passionate about their work.

Looking for a place to volunteer in SF? Look no further!…read more The Groceries for Seniors program delivers food to seniors in The City who would otherwise go hungry, most of whom live in the Western Addition and China Town. The program is run out of Old St. Mary's Church on California St. by an ex- Haight Ashbury Food Program volunteer, John Meehan. Good people, good cause. Check 'em out and get involved!

I volunteered here back when I lived in San Francisco. My volunteer position was the "Food…read moreWarehouse Person." My duties: - unload groceries from the van - sort and organize all the food - distribute them evenly into grocery bags - hand out the full grocery bags to the seniors waiting outside The volunteers met at 9am in front of the church, and already there was a line of elderly recipients waiting. It broke my heart to see so many hungry people. I know hunger is a major problem in the world, but we don't normally see it right in front of us. The group of volunteers were a diverse bunch and it was fun meeting and greeting them all. I'm definitely volunteering here again when I come back to San Francisco!

It feels so great to be able to help others. I recently discovered City Team SF when I was…read moresearching for NPOs to volunteer with. Many of the food banks are really popular and their times are booked really fast. I noticed City Team had almost all their slots still available the week of, so I created an account and went in this past Saturday. Kimbel is one of the guys who runs City Team SF and he's amazing! My volunteer hour was 9am - 11am, helping serve breakfast and packing to-go orders for those that wanted to take it with them. The work they do here is incredible, they provide breakfast, lunch and dinner M-Sat and they allow people to eat as much as they want. They also have a rack of clothes in the back for people to choose from. I think living in SF, we've seen how bad the homeless issue has become and certainly have our own share of opinions and feelings about it. However volunteering at City Team has really gave me a new perspective, just giving your time and being kind to others really makes a difference in their day. I will definitely come back again, this was a great place to volunteer at, great people I've met. Also, if you have clothes you no longer have use for, you can drop them off here!

After having volunteered for last night's dinner service I can say they have a pretty well run…read moreorganization for feeding the homeless and down and out. Dinner was mashed potatoes ( including the skins ) with a chili mixture topping served with salad. Before dinner they had some musical entertainment and sung some Christian songs. A couple of prayers were thrown in., Also there was a analysis of some scriptures from the bible involving the good samaritan. The mashed potatoes were almost totally consumed and the chili was tasty ( I sneaked a sample after everyone was served ). The salad was appealing and healthy looking. It's nice to volunteer and serve the community. 3 stars for the food. I was surprised by the quality !

Great place to get a bowl of soup. Especially if you like being served by a bunch of virtue…read moresignaling liberal white people with a guilt complex who loathe the folks who go there to eat. I thanked k one volunteer for my plate of food then for her to reply " what's wrong?" I​ pointed out the customary response is usually you're welcome. Her true disdain and disgust for me was evident.Much love to Charlie.

Lionbear n" n' " Brenda Prty date again :)!. We had soup and a yummy orange chocolat chocolate…read morebrownie, pretty good bread and water too for free during this season weatherwise, in 2024. Thanks :].!

This donation center was recommended to me via NextDoor, assuring me they would take my jacket with…read morea small hole.Their website lists an address in Diamond Heights Shopping Center. How hard could that be to find? Er, really hard. I resorted to GPS which dead-ended me at the Post Office loading dock. Finally, I thought to call them and the recording sent me upstairs between Walgreens & Safeway. Who knew?! Absolutely zero signage. Mystery staircase, walkway, boarded up windows- hark, a faded logo on a locked door. I almost left, but then noticed a black garbage can with a clipboard on top. Leave your email & they'll send you a receipt. Sigh. I wanted to know if they also take shampoo, took a chance & left it along with a warm down jacket. Like I said, the jacket has a small hole, & nobody I spoke to wanted it, so it was either find a cold street person or hope the jacket will go to a good home. So, I give these angels 4 stars for the good work they do- assuming it's everything listed on their website. Minus 1 star for zero visibility from the street level. A sign or two would certainly bring them much more donations.

There lucky tgere getting 1 star. I just had the most rudest experience talking to a male staff at…read morethis non-profit. I asked about any other 1 on 1 tutoring for my middle schoolers and in a rude way he shut me down.! Just because you work for a non-profit you need to learn how to be a people person and not so rude to people asking you about your services!!

Home Repair in the Bayview area of San Francisco. No construction experience necessary, repair is…read morean all day shift, and you can't choose what kind of work you are doing. We had a fun and exhausting day and had a great crew leader and coordinator that worked with the vibe of our group to make it the most optimal. Our group's task was primering the outside of a home and helping clean the inside. Painting the outside was definitely the craziest part, leaning huge 2 story ladders with the bottom being on an angled sidewalk and made true by jamming scrapwood underneath one leg and the top part leaning on a house that was falling apart. Our crew leader did it with such comfort and confidence it made us feel more confidant about the safety. It was cool to see how a primer layer improved the look of the home and made it feel refreshed. I also enjoyed helping clean the inside, not sharing pictures of those for privacy but it was one of the most interesting houses with amazing history I've ever been inside of. Thanks for the fun experience, it made the end of day beers that much better!

I've been on 3 different projects, 2 in Menlo Park (read East Palo Alto) and 1 in Daly City, the…read morecondo development. It's been a lot of fun. I like that they do the safety talk at the start of each day. Also they have safety equipment such as helmets, ear plugs, knee pads. The knee pads are "well used" but are good enough to do the trick. Really nice folks at every site. I'm one to ask a lot of questions, and everyone has been really patient in answering. It's a good volunteer environment. The work itself can be hard work! But it's satisfying, and I was able to take the breaks I needed. It's also fascinating to learn about home construction. I've put down a subfloor, removed old laminate and hardwood flooring, and put down pergo. Plus done some random demolition. I've also seen inside of lots of walls, and have a better sense of how homes were constructed in the 50's. yikes. BTW I learned something important about Habitat. They don't give away houses--they sell them to families at a % of family income over time (30 years?). Then if the family wants to sell, they sell BACK to Habitat, and then they can use their built-up equity to buy something else. The neat thing is that the Habitat system is focused on affordability and smooths out bubbles by basing on salary. (US gov't, are you listening?) Also families that buy from Habitat have to do 500 hours of volunteer work. It's good stuff.

Terrible. I left 3 messages and no response. My GGP group left us high and dry. We usually get…read moregroceries every Saturday mornings at Oak & Clayton and they're very nice. But the last month they haven't been there so I called and called the main number to see if they can tell me where they went/if they just plain quit distributing at that location. Shit service- no respect. I can see why they're negative reviews- black listed, staff keeps food for themselves sounds like selfish assos staff there to me.

This is a wonderful company that does great work and has a great mission, but the dispatch people…read moreare deplorable, unprofessional, and completely unreasonable. My network of nonprofits/community-based-organizations was blacklisted from receiving donations, because of a minor issue with the building maintenance staff. This came after 2+ years of having a very cordial and open working relationship with them, and I was always listed as an emergency backup if staff wasn't on-site. The founder (Mary Risley) is no longer acting in the best interest of the company, and should step down. The dispatch manager (Tessa) is two-faced and unprofessional. Do not do business with this company.