I was a chef there a few months ago and the idea of serving people and families in need was a honor…read morefor me but the management in the kitchen is not qualified to serve these types of clients/residents, and why I say this is because I have seen the quality of food that the so called managers were willing to feed the residents. They don't care about the residents in the building and they don't have skill or respect that they should have working for people that are at a disadvantage. That place new need and fresh ideas and management because the system they have is bias and shows favoritism to those who suck up to them and caters to their egos. Bias, racism and favoritism has no place in a organization like this. Oh yeah the "kitchen managers" don't know how to cook food properly and doesn't use gloves when preparing ready to eat meals!

This review is based on my volunteer work almost a year ago. I need to write it down before my…read morelose my memory. Every year, I try to do something helpful within the community. I have heard of this place from a friend. I looked it up and called them right away. They told me the only thing I could do is serve meal for now, I said sure. I noticed the time frame they got were mostly booked by big corporation workers, like Target. Since most of the lunch and dinner were booked the only option was breakfast. Of course since I am an early bird, I signed up. I arrived pretty e-a-r-l-y. I had to get a cup of coffee so I could be ready to work. I arrived and there was a police officer sitting by the security.Yes, they check your ID to make sure you are legit and not to bring any thing harmful to the building. If you are a visitor or volunteer person, you filled in your name and reasons for the visit. I headed downstairs where the cafeteria located. The staff was very nice to me. They explained to me what I needed to do. I served oatmeal, coffee and juice. I had to wear an apron and a hair net which makes sense. I stayed a little longer to help out cleaning the tables and floor. I was there for a little over two hours. After that I went straight to work. I had a great time talking to people coming in for food. Most of them were family in need. I really appreciate a service like this helping the community in need. I hope everyone get a chance to do something like this. Who knows you might see me there...:) (Parking lot is small)

My family has supported the White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf for over 30 years. Excellent…read moreresource for members of the community in need.

Anyone that donates to this food shelf should be aware on how they are spending your donations…read more They are spending money stupidly. The cheif board member feels like she can spend money like water. Do you know she spent 2500 on a logo? The food shelf was getting free updates on their website and only paying $11 a month.hosting. They paid over 500 for setup on the new one and are paying 21 a month for hosting. I consider them foolish

Had such a great time volunteering here with SGAD!! I've volunteered with Surly at the Roseville…read morelocation before doing a hanger sort. This location was a bit different. We did a napkin and placemat sort/pairing, some people got to match the sets to a set of dishes so when people come to grab them they can have a whole set. This location seemed a bit tighter space wise than the other location but it worked out for us spreading out. Staff were nice and helpful when we had questions.

I would tell them not to turn down wonderful pieces of furniture. I had a beautiful Bernhardt sofa…read morethat barely was used and they turned it down with a Thomas ville oak dining room table six chairs. They don't bother to even look at pictures and then ask you to pay for moving. With so many people without homes or furniture, how can they do that.

I came here to share my donation experience and how easy it was to coordinate with the staff at JC,…read morethey also helped me unload about 15-20 bags that I had gathered from a drive I was doing for the holidays. Being Born and raised in St Paul I am shocked I had no idea this non profit existed and was pleased to stumble upon it online while looking for places to donate. I love the concept of being able to have a dignified shopping experience for those in need hence why I chose JC to donate to. But I am disheartened by the reviews I am reading from folks in the community as I am biracial myself and have a biracial family. I truly hope that a Christian based non profit is not discriminating against people of color or mistreating those that are in need. I encourage you to listen to those expressing their experiences and concerns and for JC to do better moving forward.

Been donating there for years. and have seen many people receive great services by their team. I…read morethink this is an amazing organization that provides a really wonderful, humanizing program to a lot of people, and it's hard to see these other reviews. It's my hope that people continue to provide them with new and gently used clothes, homewares, makeup, haircare, and other goods that help people feel like the wonderful people of our community that they are. Everyone deserves some time away to shop for the things they need or better yet, the things they want, for themselves or their friends or family. Please give to this organization and drop in to see what they are all about. A store that operates for free for people to "buy" what they need and feel human, when so many people make them feel second class...this is a model many other organizations should adopt.

Such a great organization! They take donations (housewares, furniture, small…read moreelectronics/appliances, decor, etc.) and provide them to people to who are transitioning out of homelessness. We worked a special shift via Surly Gives a Damn, sorting hangers. But they do take groups of 5 or more to do projects such as putting furniture together, sorting utensils and linen and more. There's always work to be done. Shifts are 2-3 hrs long. The work was very chill. You got to pick what you wanted to do as well as they were very accommodating for example if you needed to sit while working or needed to take breaks. Diana was running things and she was such a great host! Made us feel welcomed & made sure to tell us about all the opportunities they have to volunteer and give back. She also offered tours of the warehouse after the shift was over. She said she's always looking for new volunteers, so if you are looking for opportunities, please check them out!!! They have 3 locations- Bloomington, Roseville & Plymouth-opening very soon.

VEAP provides an incredibly necessary community service. I go to VEAP once a month to get food and…read morethey provide "an abundance of groceries" absolutely free. Fish fillets, ground beef, fruits, vegetables, grains, bread, canned foods, frozen foods, sauces, pastries, butter, even sometimes toilet paper, paper towels and napkins. I'm not sure how they've managed to grow to become such an inspirational and clearly imperative service to the community but having been here in Minnesota for more than 20 years may explain it in part. It also requires dedicated and responsible volunteers that work with a smile for everyone that comes through the door. I'd give VEAP 10 Stars or more if I could. We get between 15 and 30 full, well balanced meals for 2 people every month! As an aside, I don't believe any of VEAP's policies could be considered overreach and if you use VEAP and are amazed at what you get for free and feel that VEAP makes you feel deserving and proud, take the time to leave a review!

The individual who assisted me was amazing. She understood my needs and assisted with just that. I…read morehighly recommend their services!

Cradle of Hope is a great organization serving mothers and babies in the Twin Cities. With the help…read moreof donors, CoH is able to provide financial assistance to women who might otherwise choose abortion or not have enough money for rent or other necessities for their newborn child. If you are looking for a great organization to support with either time or money, check out Cradle of Hope!

Cradle of Hope (CoH) has been serving women and babies in crisis since 1973, but I have only been…read morevolunteering for them since 1998. Coming from a big family with lots of nieces and nephews, I love children and do what I can to assist children in need. CoH continues to provide financial support to women in need as well as portable cribs for a safe place for babies to sleep. The staff and volunteers are wonderful and have a zest for life and helping those in need! I will be a lifelong supporter of Cradle of Hope!

Awesome experience! A perfect venue for a fun team building session or networking event for large…read moregroups, while simultaneously providing a service for our community. Location was inconvenient for me as it was a 45 minute drive, but the friendly and helpful staff, combined with their large and beautiful facilities made it worthwhile. Second Harvest Heartland was easy to work with. Their online reservation system made it easy to see which time slots could accommodate us. We were even able to use their large meeting room space to host a 2 hour lunch and networking event prior to our volunteering session. The large room included 2 screens for projecting presentations from your laptop, sound system with microphone and a strong and free WiFi. All of this was of great value to our group! As one of the leaders of Asian Professionals Alliance in MN (APAM), we brought together 70 volunteers from across APAM member companies: 3M, Best Buy, Cargill, General Mills, Medtronic, Target & US Bank. Not only was this venue large enough to accommodate our large group, they were so organized, gave us great instruction and constantly kept the workplace clean, comfortable. They had 6 computers at the entrance for each individual to register for the event. Half of our group boxed care packages for senior citizens while the other half worked to inspect and package 40 pound bags of potatoes for food shelves across the country. My favorite part is that they share the results of your volunteer efforts at the end of your shift. I would absolutely recommend this place for volunteering sessions - for individuals, small groups and large groups!

I had a lot of fun volunteering at second harvest. They are very organized. It's a lot of physical…read morework, but you get a lot done for a worthy cause. I've done two shifts so far and there are a few different projects depending on their needs. So it's not the same thing every time.