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.

You know you want to volunteer. You know when someone asks you what you did this weekend, it would…read morebe cool to say, "I helped pack meals for the homebound for Project Open Hand" or "I helped with some cleanup at Literacy for Environmental Justice". But you don't feel like you have enough time. Hands On Bay Area is such a cool vehicle for volunteering without commitment. Sign up, show up, do your 2-3 hours and go home. And if you find a project you really love, you can volunteer every month (most are recurring) or contact the agency to become a regular volunteer. I do wish they had more things I could do with my very young girls. I want to raise them to enjoy volunteering, and most of these projects only welcome older children. But we did do a "With Seniors" visit and a good time was had by all. Our new elderly friend Dorothy really connected with my 5 year old daughter. Meet great people, give back to the community, have fun doing it.

**************** REVIEW 427 ******************…read more I've been with Hands on Bay Area when it was Community Impact in Mountain View in 1999. Hands on Bay Area offer volunteers many options of the volunteer opportunities that match their interests, such as: - Adult education and literacy, - Animal support, - Children & youth (- Enrichment and recreations, tutoring, etc) - Community enrichment, - Environment, - Heath & wellness, - Homelessness and Hungers, You can choose from location different counties such as: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marine, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, & Santa Clara Counties! HOBA has a great website, that user friendly, you can RSVP your project that fits you & they email you the info and also reminder for you! You don't need any skill to volunteer! Hands on Bay Area website makes it really easy to do it & if you are new, they will make you go to an orientation, but it's easy & you get to meet many wonderful hearts just like yourself! So lend a hand, make a different in your community!

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 :].!

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.

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.

I've volunteered for many organizations over the years, and Urban Angels is really up there…read more It's rare to volunteer and feel a direct impact from your work. But Urban Angels is right there, supporting unhoused people directly in the community. The connection and impact is felt and so life giving. Nelson and the team and fantastic too! Nelson has a truly pure heart that drives his work here - and it just keeps going. It's incredible. If you are looking to volunteer, financially support, or benefit from a local non-profit organization, Urban Angels is a great org to partner with. Thanks Nelson and team for all you do!!

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 !

28 years ago I stayed at this Ronald McDonald House while my daughter was having open heart…read moresurgery. Sadly my daughter passed away February 28, 1996. The staff was made aware by the hospital and when we arrived that night I don't have to mention we were emotionally drained. The staff let us make all the long distance calls we had to and let us stay until we arranged for a flight home. 28 years later this place holds a special place in my heart, not only because my daughter enjoyed it so much, but because of the kindness of these strangers. I'm sure they don't even work there anymore, but I'll never forget them. Ronald McDonald House is more than a home away from home, it's a support system for parents.

My nephew and his wife who live in Sacramento have been staying here because their 2 month old baby…read morehas had 5 open heart surgeries in S.F. since Valentine's Day. They had spent so much time here and home was too far to go back and forth. What a wonderful organization! So next time you visit McDonald's, put a few coins in the fund box for a great cause. It could benefit you or a family member someday.

Very difficult to donate to. Had to schedule on the website, but with the ambiguity on what they…read morewould take I had to make a phone call. Was told they would take office chairs, not desks. Only take 3 beds, no more. They were scheduled to be out in the afternoon (1pm - 4pm). They called at 11 am to say they were 20 minutes away. We had to drop everything to get there. They refused the beds because the rails were composite and did not want to take the chairs. Mind you ALL this furniture was brand new for a corporate house that was never lived in. After a call to the supervisor they took the office chairs not the beds. The couch didn't fit into the garage, it was 6 feet from the door. They would not come into the home to get it. They would only retrieve from the garage. We had to bribe the "volunteers" $20 each to take the couch. Next time, rent a U-Haul and take it to Goodwill. Faster, cheaper and done on your time frame. If Goodwill can't take it, they have dumpster right there.

I want to start off my review stating that most of the workers at St Vincent's are kind,…read morehardworking and lovely people. They should be appreciated and commended for the efforts they put in each day. I went into St Vincent's last week. I was there less than 5 minutes when I overheard one of the employees (I'm guessing the employees are all unpaid volunteers) was speaking to a gentleman extremely rudely, insisting that he was a reseller. She stated they do not sell to resellers, I'm not sure if she meant that specific item or all items. The man stated he was looking at one pair of sunglasses for his wife and the worker exclaimed she didn't understand why he would be looking at sunglasses for his wife without his wife present. The gentleman ended up abruptly leaving. I was appalled hearing her speak to this man in this manner. Who is she to judge? There are resellers everywhere trying to support their families, many single parents and many with children with disabilities trying to make ends meet. It is absolutely none of her business and if this is how St Vincent's runs their charity operation where they've marked up goods beyond what most people can afford and scrutinize the ones who can, I will not be coming any longer and I will also let my friends know to do the same. It is after all resellers that provide a big portion of money for St Vincent's, Goodwill etc. Resellers are not going inside buying up all of the inventory, resellers are very selective and probably buy items that most overlook. With so much going into the landfill, resellers have really helped more than they've hurt. St Vincent mostly sells dingy, outdated, dirty items that have been extremely overpriced. They didn't appear to even be cleaned. Used sheet sets are taped up so customers cannot even determine if they're stained, damaged or unfit for the price. Resellers may be able to offer some help in pricing items so they actually sell. Prices for items should not be determined on any listing prices, instead they should be priced on the sold price if you are trying to compete with eBay or other online reselling platforms. However, if you're trying to be a charity that moves items quickly because you have a huge warehouse full of them, it would probably be best to price your items fairly so the public who can't afford your prices can purchase them or resellers can purchase them, at the end of the day the money is all going to the same cause, right? I'm sure the volunteers work very hard but another situation I've noticed several times and so have others is the way the workers treat each other. Some of the workers are so rude to their coworkers, belittling them in front of customers, being flat out abusive and just being controlling old biddies. I witnessed one customer paying for her items and the worker was trying her best to fit everything into the bag the customer was purchasing while another worker came over to take over insisting that she "let her do it". There's a sign on the door that says " no animals" which is a good idea. Too often than not I've went into stores in the valley with dogs everywhere. Some of them are friendly and the owners have obviously trained them to be in a public place. Unfortunately many are not trained, some are aggressive and some of the owners are not observant to what their dog is doing, rubbing up against other customers, sniffing and licking other customers, lunging at customers etc. St Vincent's maintains this policy for their customers, however not 10 minutes after I was inside, a worker comes out from the back with a dog. Double standards are not a good example of respect for all. I hope that St Vincent's listens to, respects their customers with pricing their items fairly, workers respecting each other & treating each other with overall kindness, especially in front of customers & not turning away paying visitors by deciding who is worthy of purchasing and who isn't. The cleanliness and organization of St Vincent's could also be a focus but that seems secondary to the bigger issues and it's understood that the volunteers work very hard and obviously not enough volunteers for such a huge building.