How many hundreds of times have I driven by the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center? It has been…read moremany years, way back to the time there was a pottery store on the property. I finally had a chance to visit for a Tarzana Music Night last week. What a fun event! Because the weather was being forecasted to be cool with the potential of rain, the event was held indoors. Things were comfortable, but we were in close quarters with the other attendees. The sound was great and the performances were a lot of fun. I was primarily there to see a good friend perform, but I also had the chance to see some other talented musicians. I think each one was a singer songwriter, and I enjoyed each performance. Each one of the people that was working at the venue, which I imagine may have been on a volunteer basis, was friendly and a lot of fun. Normally the music nights are held outdoors, and I can imagine that most of the year, it is a lot of fun being in the open air.

What a cool place I never knew was here! Check out their events on their website! If you write them…read morethey will write you back too. They have a small outdoor stage with string lights hanging beautifully all around, a few picnic tables and fold out chairs for when there's an event to watch. When the chairs aren't there I imagine thats what they use for the outdoor dance floor under the stars, too! A few people brought their dogs on leash. I saw a few people brought in their own food, chilled out and ate while they watched the live band. They do have a very small amount of drinks, chips, and cookies for sale at a stand but thats it so if you don't want junk food def bring what you do want. They do have an indoor bathroom. PARKING - Def uber/LYFT to them. There are only a few spots in the back you can get to from the side street (not from Ventura blvd) and thats it! So do yourself a favor and get a ride. Lyft must know about this place because the driver knew exactly where to meet us in the back when we booked our return. For us it was a calm but fun summer evening hang outside! I don't know what its like without a band playing but hope I get a chance to check that out too.

Writing this in honor of my late soul dog, Harper. I adopted Harper almost 14 years ago from Dogs…read moreWithout Borders. DWB are heavily active in social media and I followed them on Facebook. I saw Harper and went to one of the adoption fairs. I first signed up as a foster. Fostering was free and I had two week periods to foster and help dogs socialize at home peacefully before being adopted. Food was provided and one of the responsibility is dropping them off at the adoption fairs. As you can assume, I went back to the adoption fairs only to start the adoption process. The organization truly cares about their dogs, making sure they get the best medical treatment and are placed in the right homes. There is no pressure in adopting the dogs so if you are only capable of committing a short amount of time, they express nothing but gratitude. They finalize the adoption by doing a home inspection, making sure the home and family are suitable for their rescues. My parents have also adopted a dog a few weeks later and the whole experience was organized, comfortable and smooth. I highly recommend fostering, donating to DWB and/or volunteering in this organization. Their staff and network of volunteers are truly angels .

We had a wonderful experience working with DWB. We found them to be very communicative and…read moreorganized. My husband primarily dealt with them on the admin side of things, so I wanted to comment on how they appear to choose their foster parents really well. The woman who fostered the dog we adopted was amazing. She really cared and helped Chloe and Nicole be selective about the best home for what has turned out to be the best little dog ever. DWB rescued him from a South LA shelter and he has very happily landed in a loving home with us. We worked with a few organizations while looking for a rescue pup and I would be happy to work with them again if and when the need arises. Always remember to adopt don't shop!!

You find great buys and good finds in the store. They have discounts every week as well as senior…read morediscounts. They used to give you discount coupons when you donate items

I appreciate what they do, but there staff is not that motivated to receive donations. I get the…read moresense that this is just a job for the people that work there, but people are donating their stuff for people in need, and they could embrace the ideology of Service. They are part of a process that assists people in need. It takes time for people with things to donate to drop them off, and to be told that they are not accepting donations at a given time is a shame and contrary to the mission they represent. I went to Goodwill instead. Super easy, pleasant and nice. Goodwill will get our donations moving forward.

Returning volunteer here from located in Encino days. It's great place to volunteer except power…read moretripping middle age women. I wanted to grab a cup of coffee before starting to volunteer. However, this middle age woman stopped me that it's not good time right now. Making or grabbing a cup of coffee is not good time!!!! Not sure who put her in charge of break room. Huge turn off, I am not in her house or personal space!!!! I will be returning to volunteer , but will avoid her.

When I saw Operation Gratitude's post on Facebook that they needed volunteer for sorting & packing…read moresupplies for Hurricane Harvey's victims... I AM ALL IN!!! This non-profit is so close to my heart. They have shipped thousands & thousands of care packages to our war soldiers for many years. But whenever our community needs help... they are always there for them!! Thanks to all the donors and volunteers for donating items and their valuable times to help out. It is all about "team work"!! Operation Gratitude brings our communities together, doing meaningful things for other people.

This is a wonderful center with handing hands to feed the friends of homeless situations of all…read moreages and backgrounds people and their pets, too. My husband and I have volunteered to serve dinner for Thanksgiving and Christmas. A great and wonderful service to help feed and support many people. Great way for families and young adults to give their time to volunteer to help others in need. The center is always in need of new blankets, socks, tents, sleeping bags and pet dog and cat food donations.

I have been a volunteer here for 1 year and it's been a wonderful experience. They provide over 500…read morefour-course sit down meals each week to those in need and less fortunate. The guests include homeless, veterans, senior citizens, those who are disabled, those with special needs, low income guests and often their pets. All are in need of a hot meal and the small things that we take for granted such as hygiene kits, bottled water, sleeping bags, pet food, extra food packs and clothing. New Friends Homeless Center (NFHC) is in need of volunteers! newfriendshomelesscenter.org Also, find on Facebook.

We originally stopped by just to take a look, but we ended up leaving with a bunch of great…read moregoodies. Before visiting, I had read reviews about how kind and helpful the employees and managers are, and it was absolutely true. We had a wonderful experience and will definitely return whenever we're in the area. Thank you so much for being so patient and understanding, especially when my kids accidentally broke not one, but two ceramic cups. The manager was incredibly gracious and said it was okay, which made our visit even more enjoyable. The only suggestion I have is that it would be great if there were more shopping carts available, or carts with child seating.

As soon as I walked in I was greeted by a young man informing me of the color of the day. Super…read morehelpful!!! I found some pretty good gems. Same young man that greeted me also helped me at the registered. I usually dont donate , but since Rene made me feel welcomed and kept me informed I actually donated. Im giving this goodwill 5 Stars because of the young man, Rene.

I volunteered for Habitat SFSCV through the UCLA campus chapter for three years and still go out…read morethere whenever I can. Habitat for Humanity is one of the best organizations to volunteer for. The work you do is tangible and immediately satisfying. At the end of a work day you can look back and say, "I painted that wall" or "I put up that fence." You know that you took part in building a home that will change a family forever. What I love most about this affiliate is how much they care about getting regular people involved. Some other affiliates I've had the chance to work with seem to value money and donations more, so they make it kind of hard for regular people to volunteer without making a big donation first. But Habitat SFSCV always tries to the people in the community to come out to builds. I don't mean to say that this affiliate doesn't care about raisin money. Habitat SFSCV is very active in involving the community to raise money - because without money, there'd be no homes. Every year they have the 5K American Dream Walk, Builder's Ball, and Women's Empowerment Build, just to name a few. If you're in the greater LA area and ever want to do something meaningful, do check out Habitat SFSCV. The people who work there are very open and helpful.

From the owner: Our mission is to build resiliency, economic growth, neighborhoods, and homes for veteran families…read more To date, Homes 4 Families has partnered with non-profits, government entities, and corporations to bring the outcome-proven Enriched Neighborhood® model to communities. We have built over 144 homes in 5 Enriched Neighborhoods® in Northern Los Angeles County, are under construction on 80 homes for low-income veteran families and are working with Habitat for Humanity Riverside to build 38 additional homes for low-income veterans.

I love this place so much. I started bringing my daughter when she was just 6 months old and it's…read morebeen such a gift. Most of what they offer is completely free, which is amazing. They do have some optional music and art classes you can pay for, but the drop-in play, story time, and community vibe are all free. It's filled with toys, books, and a big "treehouse" with a slide that the kids love. The staff and volunteers are always so kind and welcoming. Some days can get a little crowded, but other days it's super mellow. They switch things up with different activities for the kids and also offer a ton of helpful resources for parents. I personally like the Canoga Park location more than the Tarzana one. It feels a little more intimate and homey. They're open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 to 12, closed for lunch from 12 to 1, and then open again from 1 to 4. They usually do story time around 11 which has become a favorite part of our visits. I've met so many amazing moms here and even met our incredible nanny through this space. It's a special place to watch your little one develop and build social skills while being part of a warm and supportive community.

Fun to take your little ones , a lot to do here with your little ones spend some timeread more

The service you request is excellent in help for homeless people or have been trying to survive…read more The value is great because in this time of need you need help from the right people that can take you where you need to be. The hardest thing for me not many can guide you or inform you the people to take you to temporary housing and then permanent housing. Majority of people are not aware of the process it is not instant and takes time for myself and my brother it's almost a year and finding out people discriminate on the homeless whether it's a racist issue or stereo types it is sad we need kindness forward to try to make a little impact of a smile and saying good morning no one is better than other but the true kindness of the heart is priceless. Happy Holidays and always appreciate and thank God you are above being close to poverty you never know if that happens to you but be grateful.

I have been going to mend since 2008 for the last 16yrs no matter homeless, shelter,or transitional…read moreliving to now assistant living they are always here on this Conner of San Fernando & I have never seen them turn a anyone down no matter where you come from there here to help and help so many so many people in so many different different needs and yes they do meet every need with dignity when I had nowhere else to shower I could go there and shower and they had the best little clothing closest. I hope to get help with clothes & hygiene also with the dfood this week things are a little different with clothes, hygiene and butt wipes... There great . Thank you