Ruth Brinker started Project Open Hand in 1985 to provide meals to neighbors suffering from AIDS. 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. read more

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Here is a gem of a org that doesn't boast enough of its amazing work! they strive to provide some of 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. read more

Great place to volunteer! Friendly staff - and an excellent way to serve your community. Learn more about their hot meal delivery service!

Project Open Hand delivers Great Meals, very well prepared using only the best produce and best ingredients. Highly reccomended , always respectful and has been supplying me since 1998 with food to keep me alive. They even have nutritonists available to help you understand interactions between medicine and food. A San Francisco "One Of A Kind Institution, Project Open Hand is beloved by all. Literally They keep me eating and alive. I love Open Hand as most everyone-else feels too. "How Do They Do This" I continue asking myself. I cannot imagine the answer. read more

Get the vegetarian meals. They are better. The meat can be tough in the others Produce is very hit or miss and tends to have a very short refrigerator life. If you go later in the week, they tend to be out of yogurt and cottage cheese. I haaaaaaate that the only option is instant oatmeal. It's disgusting. I eat a lot of oatmeal but can't get it here because I want the fiber of old fashioned or at least quick oats. Some volunteers are nicer or more accommodating than others. If you get a surly one, come back. The next will be a lovely person. They usually have an off list freebie. Ask if it isn't offered. Sometimes it's ginormous salad. Sometimes it's high quality sea salt. You ever know. Most of all, the staff there want to help. I've shown up with expired paperwork and still gotten food even though I was given paperwork to bring back. That was cool since i had. no idea my paperwork had expired. read more

Project Open Hand was started by Ruth Brinkler in 1985 to provide nourishment to undernourished aids sufferers who couldn't help themselves. today, P.O.H. provides "meals of love" to people who are homebound and critcally ill with any serious illness. while i couldn't volunteer my time, i do make donations yearly to help their worthy cause... read more

I have been coming here for years. Usually, the lunches are OK, sometimes cold, and sometimes not too well prepared. I can't expect much from a warehouse that puts out many lunches. Today, 7/7, was the most disorganized I saw them. Meals are served at 11:30. At 11:45, it was announced that the Salmon entree was not delivered. The food would arrive at 12:15. Then, at 12:15, it was announced that the main course would be pork. HUH??? They have one job, and can't do that. This is yet another example of the nail in the coffin of America. read more

I'm coming up on the three-year mark volunteering for POH. I have to say, it's been fantastic. I really look forward to pulling a shift here... having made many friends amongst staff and volunteers alike. it's *absolutely* a family -- and at the three-year mark, I'm still a newby by POH standards. there are a heck of a lot of folks here who have volunteered for a decade longer than I have. wanna work on your knife skills? work here for a while and you'll be a freakin' ninja with a chef's knife -- and share a lot of laughs and smiles in the process... all the while knowing you're helping to put food on the table of someone who needs it. POH is a very, very good place to volunteer. read more

Can't complain. It's free food . We appreciate it . Minus one star because sometimes they rush you . The workers are nice

Mgr finally returned my call. She said she was on vacation. She should've updated her voicemail message that she'll be out of the office. I told her I was getting hot foods at 11:15 AM. She said they probably didn't check my card that shows I'm a senior. I guess they cater to the below 59 year olds. Won't be returning to this center as I don't like frozen foods. read more

Project Open Hand seems like is having trouble. They got rid of the main chef. Seems like kitchen is crazy right now. They need more donation and support from public, I understand...it's hard to work with tight budget. I hope it stays in the business to help everyone who needs a good meal. read more

This is a great group or solo volunteer spot! The staff are super friendly and help get you started with whatever task needs doing. I attended an afternoon shift with my work colleagues and we portioned out food for later preparation. It was a fun team building experience and a way to give back to our community. I highly suggest this organization to anyone who wants to lend a helping hand in a regular basis or wants to schedule a great team building experience. read more

And now something SPECIAL for my 50th review: Project Open Hand - help people who need help - meet other friendly volunteers from all walks of life - learn how cold a walk-in freezer can be - see all kinds of people stare at you through the window - get all sorts of yummy treats made lovingly by the chefs - meet politicians - get good at chopping vegetables - ruin a manicure - feel good about yourself - feel good about humanity read more

I brought a group of coworkers to volunteer to help prepare meals at Project Open Hand.  Before starting our work, we were given dinner (a nice perk) and an overview of the awesome work the organization does for the needy. We were then led to a large table in the kitchen area and shown our chopping tasks. We put our hair up in sexy hair nets, washed our hands, and put on gloves. Since the clientele is the sick and elderly who have weak immune systems, it's very important that everyone is very clean before they get started. Our group was asked to chop carrots, celery, and parsley. The set up was perfect for chatting and team building. We quickly found out who has culinary skills and who didn't know what "diced" means. Everyone had a great time and felt great about supporting such a wonderful organization. read more

Make time to volunteer here, and you won't regret it. You will feel it was time well-spent, unlike my day so far hanging out in a jury assembly room for no apparent reason. I arranged for my alumni group and a group from my work to come here last month, and hope to go back soon. We spent hours packing, sorting, and sometimes composting food. It's hard work, but fulfilling and fun. Filling grocery orders for clients was particularly rewarding. They offer free and tasty lunch to volunteers, or visit one of the many good restaurants nearby. They have a great mission, and the foresight to buy the building when they started in the 80s, install solar panels, and compost instead of paying to send biodegradable stuff to the landfill. The staff members that I met were great, and flexible about the needs of volunteers in my groups. read more

It's been a while since I volunteered here, but the project is still awesome and one of my faves. I came here recently to volunteer for a full workday (I get a paid day from work to volunteer each year). I'll let you learn about POH from their website, but here's a bit about what we did for a day. We worked up in the grocery center the whole day and Marcus was the man! 8:45: arrival, parked at Van Ness movie theatre parking lot for $10 9:00: finished brief orientation, started putting labels on containers intended for fresh homemade peanut butter, helped throw out some icky old food, made "quick pack" bags for the day with certain canned food stuff, loaded 4 ginormous bins of carrots in the walk-in fridge for the kitchen to use, packed individual bags of yams, refilled grocery center's grain area and produce section 11:30-12: lunch was provided and was quite yummy, it was nice to finally sit down 12:01: made over a hundred bags of trail mix, refilled meat section of grocery area and refilled the produce section again, made some signs for the produce section b/c it was time to hand out apples, refilled cheese section of the grocery area, bundle wrapped cheese sticks We were out of there before 4pm probably b/c Marcus saw how exhausted we looked. It was all worth it though. A great cause and with all that work it felt like we made a difference. read more

I wanted to dedicate by 200th review to Project Open Hand. Found out abt them when I ran the Giants Plate to Plate 5k a few yrs ago. Been volulnteering here since August 2007 where I worked in the kitchen. Why I enjoy volunteering here: -an excerpt from their website: Project Open Hand has been providing "meals with love" to people living with serious illnesses and to seniors -the kitchen area is fun!!! Honestly, it's such a stress relief when I come here on Saturdays that I can forget abt work and all my troubles. Great volunteers make for great conversation, and we all work towards a common goal, preparing healthy meals for clients. -staff is very friendly, considerate, and most of all, respectful of ppl from all walks of life. -I can now say I'm fluent at chopping vegetables. Seriously. I love processors, but chopping the hard way does make a meal much more enjoyable. -The walk thru the Tenderloin area is interesting to say the least, but I love spending my Saturday mornings in the city! Anyway, if you have the time and $ this year, definitely look at POH. I think they're even listed under Disney's Volunteer Day organizations. It'll be tough to hang up my apron this month when I leave the Bay Area, but I treasure the hard work and sense of humanity I learned at Open Hand. read more

This organization does not care about its clients. Meals are prepared with no regard for client needs and rotate the same 4-5 meals every week. Pork loin served at least once a week particularly is dry and served in one piece and difficult to cut. Chicken thigh twice a week and ground turkey twice a week and all flavorless. The starch is just boiled with no flavoring. Once I asked if there was a menu for clients who could not cut meat and I was given a puréed meal. Puréed chicken breast and puréed macaroni. If they ever bothered to taste puréed macaroni they would know it is an insult. I am not a dog and do not appreciate being given this. read more

After wiping down steel tables, I went to an assembly area where we double bagged frozen meals for delivery. I stacked nested packing cases with friends. It was a compassionate/non-confrontational environment where fellow workers chatted about their hospital shifts. Once I had eaten a some soup, I wore a paper hat and plastic apron to shape large pans of meatloaf in a commercial kitchen. The other volunteers were really nice, giving me opinions about Asian or fusion food in the city, because this was my vacation. read more

What a great organization! I spent my Saturday volunteering here, and I was very impressed with the whole operation. The volunteer coordinator was super nice, and the kitchen crew was amazing -- Chef Mike, you rock! Aside from the wonderful work they are doing for the community, I want to commend everyone for making it really easy to volunteer. Working that assembly line was a little daunting, but I'm glad we made it through! I'll definitely be back. read more

Doing great work for the community, Project Open Hand makes sure that persons suffering from HIV and AIDS have meals and other things they need. A few dollars can go a long way for these people in need. You can offer to donate time or money. Either way, it's for an excellent cause. read more

Spent the day volunteering at Project Open Hand and was very impressed with their programs, staff, and overall operations. We has a nice tour of the facility by the volunteer coordinator and then were assigned to several different jobs (veggie prep, assembly line meal packaging, and sorting goods for their grocery store). The staff was obviously used to working with new and untrained volunteers and we were treated well by all. After our shift was over, we were treated to a delicious lunch (some dishes looked familiar since we were involved in their prep). I was impressed with the foods served ... well seasoned, not overcooked, quality ingredients. I've been a supporter of Project Open Hand for many years and am pleased that they remain committed to providing healthy and nutritious meals to those in need. read more

Project Open Hand of the East Bay in Oakland is great. The place is clean, the staff and volunteers are corteous, knowlegeable on their products and service, and ALWAYS acknowlege their clients with a smile upon arrival. The service is quick and very efficient. A BIG HUG to Vickie and her staff and volunteers, GREAT TEAM! read more

God bless you Project Open Hand and the work you do in the SF community by supporting and feeding people. It was my honor to participate in the SF Giants 1/2 Marathon 2012 Race, which supported POH. I'm glad I have been able to be a small part of supporting POH in this manner. read more

The food has become almost inedible.For the past couple of years, lunches have consisted of strange pairings, colorless foods, overcooked veggies, few salads. Most lunches are monochromatic, not like the picture posted on open hand's website. I have been attending these lunches for over 10 years (not every day, of course) and I can see the difference. The lunches used to be tasty as well as nutritious . Any elderly person who is relying on these meals as their main sustenance is really out of luck these days. read more

Over 10 years ago, my partner Jon was a client of POH. This service was truly amazing for him from both a nutrition and psychological standpoint. Delicious and nourishing meals were delivered hot every day. He even received a cake on his birthday, sadly it was to be his last. Today, I volunteer there two days a week and get to not only experience the joy of giving and helping others but also have a lot of fun with some great people. This place is run very professionally but still really rocks. Feeding hungry people is so fundamental and your part in it can be also!! read more

Interesting that most of these great reviews are from volunteers and not actual clients that rely on POH. As a worker for In Home Support Services whose client has been disabled HIV for over 25 years and relies on POH, I have to say that the organization itself has really gone down hill in the last couple of years. You can tell just by the amount of clients they have (or lack of). It used to be packed any time I would go in. Not anymore. I'm assuming it's because people are now having to submit documentation TWICE a year to prove that they qualify for Open Hand. It used to be once a year. They're having these elderly and disabled people jump through hoops just for a few groceries once a week. My client has not been able to shop at Open Hand since March of this year. His doctor's office has faxed over the necessary information NUMEROUS times since March and since then we've been told over and over that they never received it. The doctor's office even sent the form via snail mail and still nothing. This is absolutely absurd!!!! I have been contributing money towards groceries for him and bringing him lunch every day that I work. Someone is clearly dropping the ball POH. I'm in the process of finding another organization that he will be able to get his groceries. I've been shopping at POH for him for many years and am so disgusted by all of this. It's really left a bad taste in my mouth and I have nothing good to say about this place. Actually I do... The volunteers are all very nice. and friendly. especially Mary Beth. read more

Want to make a huge difference in the life of someone? Then consider donating your time to make and deliver meals to folks who have a hard time leaving their homes. It's more than just bring food to somone, you bring companionship, friendship, compassion and love. read more

In the early 1990s I was waiting for my disability to kick in and totally broke and Project Open Hand became my grocery store and dinner delivery service, and it was FREE. The kindest, gentlest, most humane and compassionate staff and volunteers served countless thousands of us as Ruth Brinker envisioned. I don't know how many meals or grocery bags they've provided over the years, but I do know it's been a labor of love on their part, and they're another beautiful "only in San Francisco" success story to thousands of men, women and children like me. read more

Project Open Hand is one of the few non-profits in San Francisco that deserves my volunteer time and my scarce cash donations. I joyfully attend their annual chocolate overdose opportunity at Ghirardelli Sq. and have spent time as a client shopper in their Grocery Center. Having worked for a big, well-funded gay & lesbian org - and noting that this is an HIV/AIDS org that serves the infected (and breast cancer patients too) without concern as to one's sexuality - you have to be impressed with the volume of meals that they create and deliver and the quantity of food that they make available to clients healthy enough to pick up on their own. One word of advice - you have to be careful about the Grocery Center produce. Since much of it may be donated, it's not always the prettiest of veggies like you'd see at Whole Foods or Bi-Rite. The bins of fruits and vegetables may contain some pieces that have begun to rot or mold and remnants of mold might get on the fresh pieces - so all of it must be thoroughly washed before consuming. (Despite the Osmonds' teenybopper hit from long ago, one bad apple CAN spoil the whole bunch, girl) A friend took home a loaf of their wheat bread to find it had begun to mold, tiny specks of mold had just begun to sprout - and any kind of mold might do harm to someone whose immune system is challenged. Some of the volunteers are more diligent than others in inspecting the fruits or veggies before bagging them for a client. Bottom line: Project Open Hand is a wonderful organization doing great work. I read recently in the B.A.R. that their CEO is retiring this year and, unlike Exec Directors departing other local organizations, he leaves his non-profit agency well-funded and ably-staffed to continue its good work. read more

A shining example of community care. Good people doing good works to make a good difference - what an inspiration. POH is worthy of whatever time, money, and support the area's residents, leaders, and businesses can provide. read more

The volunteers for Project Open Hand are honestly the nicest people you will ever meet. I camer here on a Friday afternoon helping deliver meals for the low income, and everyone I met was very nice! I had a good time with my group from Santa Clara University, as we travelled in the Tenderloin of SF. We even handed out free sandwiches, and those were gone very fast! It's good, especially as a high school or college student, to reach out to your community and the poor. Watching them makes me always so grateful for everything that I have, and the food I get to eat. There is no other way to describe the feeling you get delivering meals! read more

This place is awesome! I feel strongly about the cause of feeding sick and elderly people, and that's what got me started there but now that I'm volunteering regularly, I think it's the BOMB! I have met some interesting people, some a little weird but that fits in with interesting. All are friendly and super nice. And they always have a well oiled machine so you don't ever wonder what you are there to do. They make sure you're not hungry while you're there and there are many other benefits (including being able to pay off SF tickets with your volunteer hours). I've met people who have their birthday parties there with their friends chopping veggies and doing their community services once a year, as well as others who come every week to do their thing. We work and talk and listen to music and it's fun! Every time I'm there I think about the people I'm helping to feed and I feel a little better about making a difference in someone's life. After all, we all do have to take care of each other. read more

Project Open Hand does great work for the community, Project Open Hand makes sure that people suffering from HIV/AIDS and seniors have meals. A few dollars can go a long way for these people in need. You can offer to donate time or money. Either way, it's for an excellent cause. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/ProjectOpenHand read more

I've been volunteering for Project Open Hand for 3 years now and feel so appreciated. Everyone is so kind and we share a common goal of helping sick people out in our community. It truly is a special place. I don't understand the negative reviews because the past director, Keven Winge was the most generous and caring person I have ever worked with. The two new co-directors, Simon and Mark are also very hard-working and genuinely trying to make POH the best it can be. Just check it out yourself - it's the best place to volunteer. read more

Got a day or 2 of free time? Come here for a daytime of volunteering. Its great for the community and it feels good that you put some effort in helping people who are in need. read more

What a great organization providing a much-needed service in San Francisco and elsewhere! I was able to perform with Cheer San Francisco at one of their volunteer appreciation events, and everyone we met was so friendly and genuine. They were also a fun and appreciative audience! read more

What an amazing organization! Stopped by POH with a friend at his request to help him carry his weekly supplies home. I now know why he needed the help. We left utterly burdened with his weekly allotment (which he desperately needs) of healthy, fresh foods. The staff was kind, friendly and full of smiles. Truly wonderful organization well deserving of 5 stars and any help we can provide them. I plan to volunteer for them soon. read more

Not only is Project Open Hand's peanut butter delicious, but it's completely affordable. There are no added preservatives, it's straight up ground peanuts! Do yourself a favor: get this peanut butter and give back to your community. read more

I am very appreciative, I get to eat food I cannot afford to purchase and the meals are healthy. I can season with salt and pepper if I choose to add it. I get milk, fresh fruit, veggies and protein with some healthy carbs in a safe place to sit on time and with kindness. I don't cook it, or wash dishes and it is timely and warm where it needs to be and cold when it is best to be cold. I have nothing but praise and gratitude for Project Open Hand the all that contribute to the blessing of comfort, safety, a good meal every day and kindness and communion with others. read more