Likely best free Bay area breakfast oatmeal/grits…read more Likely best free Bay area macaroni and cheese. Though likely dependant of cook. You may complain garbage bins everywhere but, there is recycling and compost. IMPORTANT. Right outside, Farmer's Market.

their breakfast usually suck, but their lunches are top notch. Thank you for everything!read more

I am new here in Oakland from Mississippi. St. Mary's Center took me in. I'm now residing in one of…read morethe transitional houses. It is a very nice and clean environment. You get to meet new people who are experiencing the same hardships as you. You all have something in common and all get to work towards a common goal of permanent housing. The case workers are very nice and helpful. They have been trained with professionalism to be able to help each client that they are assigned. They treat everyone like someone and is very concerned about your well being in every area of your life. These are angels on earth. I am so glad that St. Mary's Center gave me another chance at life. Get involved. You will not regret it. Love is shown to seniors here every day. Thank you St. Mary's Center for being there for me as a 56 year old and needing housing. I will forever be grateful to you for your service.

From the owner: Seniors and Preschoolers come to us for housing and early childhood education. They count on us, we…read morecount on you. Please consider donating today.

I have volunteered time here. The ground floor of this building is a drop in center for homeless…read morewomen. It's run by a nun and affiliated with Saint Mary's Center down the street. It's open from 830 to 2pm Monday thru Friday and women can come here to shower, do laundry, use the phone, get coffee, breakfast, and lunch, or just get a little bit of rest in a safe place. They also do events here for the women like housing workshops and hair cuts. This place is doing great things for the community, and the women who run this place and work here are some really amazing and compassionate human beings. This is a great place to donate to, and even if you can't give money, they always appreciate food items, warm clothes, and toiletries.

ABSOLUTELY do not know how to follow through with anything they tell you they will do. They strung…read moreus along for months because there was "something they were working on for us", and all kinds of promised help that never came through. All up until they kicked us out of the hotel they had put us in, never came through with somewhere to go from the hotel (even after reassuring us they had somewhere for us). So now we are back to living on the streets and wishing we had never even heard of this organization.

I was discriminated against two different ways, going there for a meal…read more Never again; I had a bad feeling I regret not following, that this would be the case. It was really blatant, too. They favor their friends, the guys that work there. I don't want your food, at the end of the day.

The city team Oakland location helped me and my son out immensely. I reached out to a program…read morecoordinator at another place in west Oakland that shared Cityteam with me. The coordinator set up details for clothing distribution as I mentioned I needed clothes for my little and I. The clothing closet was huge and there was more than enough to look through. Please keep them in mind when looking to donate clothing, men's / women's / and children's of all sizes. I for one needed the help and I thank you for providing that.

I go here with my program week during the week for charity stuff and organizing clothes and putting…read morefood on the table serving the people and helping them on track. Also I help clean the kitchen. The staff is really nice name outgoing and the service and the food is amazin

I started volunteering with Oakland Elizabeth House in November of 2016 and had the pleasure to…read moremeet so many wonderful families who are working overtime for the betterment of their family. I found Oakland Elizabeth House through instagram and went through the application and interview process with the house volunteer coordinator at the time, Dana. I was able to meet most of the house and become an active volunteer within that next week. At certain times of the year they seem as though they have no shortage of volunteers but during school breaks and certain weekdays, they require more volunteer assistance on several different levels, which can range from helping tutor kids, watching kids during weekly house meetings, planning field trips, organizing reading buddies, and more. I'd usually go one or two times a week for 2-4 hours, or for full days sometimes if it were over spring break or an unexpected rainy day. I'd help with meals and mostly craft time. The age ranges of kids are anywhere from baby through grade school so it's certainly a task to find something all will be interested in for their age. The kids are full of personality and genuinely enjoy and appreciate the extra attention they can get and opportunities to feel special among new people. Some volunteer days are busier than others but even if you aren't interested in organizing events or hanging with the kids, you can volunteer in other ways like sprucing up their garden and play yard. If you have any special skill that are shareable or teachable, that's such a gift to bring to Elizabeth House. Elizabeth House also accepts donations of clothing and food but there is a somewhat strict policy for drop off times, due to it being a very small community in the house and only a few windows open for volunteers and housemates to organize.

Valerie Taylor talked to me so bad and was very unprofessional I don't understand why do people get…read morea job that they are not passionate about. Yes I am homeless but I am not trash or beneath you. Please humble yourself

Sunday, 12:30PM…read more Because this program is operated under the Lutheran Church, it's repeated again under their review. The Church's pastor (Reverend Isakson) runs this program for homeless youth. It's a temporary shelter that provides support and food for the kids that need to recuperate. My friends and I came by to distribute V-day cards and various goodies. We didn't actually meet any of the kids but were happy that program was under the leadership of such a genuine and caring pastor. And then...? My friends and I support YEAH's! leadership in alleviating homeless youth in the area. Their volunteers are passionate and altruistic (without the proselytlzing nonsense) making it easy to join their cause. We're going on Sundays for soup kitchen work but according to Reverend Isakson, one can volunteer on any day of the week. Count your blessings and share some love!

These guys and gals provide an invaluable service to youth who are trying to get their feet on the…read moreground and gain traction.

I am so grateful that such a wonderful place exists for seniors, people with AIDS and women…read morefighting breast cancer! They distribute very healthy, fresh foods suitable for any diet and delicious frozen meals. Having one here in the East Bay is a blessing and their location is in a nice area (although parking can be dicey). They make their own peanut butter which is the best I've ever tasted, too! Great place - great people.

From the owner: Project Open Hand provides nutrition meals to the sick and vulnerable in Alameda County.read more

Okay, I don't want to seem like everyone else who is writing reviews for things, but E.L.L.S.S.A…read more is literally one of the best non-profit organizations I know of. Yes, there are amazing ones out there, but working and being and ambassador for this specific one has given me so many great opportunities. I was given the opportunity to move and live in California from a little town in Oregon. Not many people I know get out of this little town I call home, Albany, a town of scarcity. I was ELLSSA's first intern. I am still learning everyday! Along with teaching the little things I know as well. Everyone involved with ELLSSA are all amazing, bright, and beautifully flawed people. We all have our own story and ELLSSA has helped us all in our own ways. Many of us come together to create and evolve as one. ...Living within a new family. ...A community of living. We, as a community, have held free events for those to join and learn self development and many more things within that such as meditations and daily wellness. Donations involving the distribution of clothing, personal items, and food to the homeless. Free weekly yoga classes and many more have been put out in this world of ours to show that we are trying. Within ELLSSA is a product line called NoMore. It is a part of how we fund to support those in this world who are in need. Our products are created with pure, all-natural, and handcrafted recipes. Each purchase gives a direct percentage donation. Recently, I have been working with a few of the team girls and we have came together and had what we call "Mixing Day." They worked together to teach me their ways (LOL, 'their ways') of mixing. And I had a blast. The process is long but well-done and as systematic as it gets for being done at home. I love everything about ELLSSA and everything there is to come beyond what we have now. There is so much more that can happen! -Asia Rayne

ELLSSA brightens my life every day. Through the weekly homeless distributions, daily wellness…read morecoaching, and nightly meditation sessions I'm able to connect with those around me as well as myself. Life as never been better now that my family and I live the "Mission" of ELLSSA.

Save The Bay is such a GREAT organization that has been around since 1961! Save the bay had been…read morearound for over 50 years! Say What?? That's amazing! I first learned about Save the Bay because of Yelp Helps-Save The Bay Volunteer Event which was located at the MLK Shoreline! Such a beautiful view next to the highway. I have to admit this event was a great experience. Being able to volunteer with great people in the community: Girl scouts, High school students and some yelp friends that were working together to make positive changes in the community! :) I love it! Save The Bay works together to protect the Bay from pollution and reckless Shoreline development to make it clean and healthier for the people and the wildlife. Thank you Bryan and Jack for spending your Saturday morning 3/8/15 with the yelp squad along with other great people that came to volunteer! They were nice, motivational and knowledgeable! They provided us with gloves, picks, knee rest, and sunscreen and of course, WATER! I worked very closely with a girlfriend to plant some new plants into the nursery by the shoreline. Who would have thought that day would have been my first day actually holding a Crab! (One dead and the other alive). I didn't think I was THAT much into the wildlife! Whoo! Thank you to the donators that donated the snacks for all of us! The bars were delicious and definitely what I needed to continue my daily workout. I had a great time and I am so happy to be part of this event. I look forward to being involved again next year! It is SO nice to be able to get come wildlife knowledge and help out in the community! I was SO sore the next day but "Hard work pays off", right?

Like computer games? Got 15 minutes to spare? Want to actually make a difference during that time…read more(instead of... oh, you know all that other stuff you do on the interwebs). George A. Miller and Janet McKinley (whoever they are) are donating $1 to Save the Bay for everyone who logs in and plays the new, free "Save the Bay" game. The whole game takes less than 15 minutes to play, it's fun (it's a GAME!) and you'll learn a little in the process. Now, if all my Yelp-friends play that's more than $200 going to Save the Bay, an organization that does nothing but wonderful things to help ensure that our beautiful Bay Area is as beautiful a place to live tomorrow as it is today. Play the game here and let me know what you learn: http://www.battleforsfbay.org/v2/?BFB_QUZ_homepage