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

When I first moved to Albany, the Albany Chamber of Commerce was one of the first places I stopped…read more I was warmly welcomed, given a comprehensive lay of the land, and with some brochures in hand went happily on my way. I have subsequently stopped here over the years for an update on the Community pulse and to occasionally buy one of their cool Albany 94706 t-shirts. I'm originally from Iowa, and I can't get enough of a small town personal touch when I find it. But alas, all good things must come to an end. As of 6/1/2011, residents, businesses and out-of-town guests will no longer be able to walk into the Chamber office, at 1108 Solano, for answers to their questions. Interested parties will need to interface with a Chamber gone virtual, an experiment aimed to expand services and save money. The Chamber formed in 1935, and has had a presence on Solano for 50 years. I'm sure commercial life in Albany will move forward, but it's hard for me to have "High Tech" unless there's also some "High Touch".

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 their website: "The Lake Merritt/Uptown District…read moreAssociation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit Community Benefit District (CBD) committed to revitalizing the heart of Downtown Oakland, California. Our efforts include district maintenance, increased security, and community and cultural enrichment. The Uptown/Lake Merritt District seeks to foster an environment where businesses thrive, art flourishes, and residents and visitors alike can enjoy all that downtown Oakland has to offer." Thanks to the Association, I was able to retrieve my lost car keys from their security team. Apparently a homeless person had found the keys out in front of the restaurant I was at one Friday night. He turned it into the security team that patrols the area around Lake Merritt and the Uptown District, which happens to be just around the corner from the restaurant. Security then left info with the restaurant as to who to contact about the keys that were found. Had the Association not been around, I would never have gotten the keys back and it probably would've been over $100 to replace it and the remote. Thanks!

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

So impressed by the compassionate treatment of residents here. Truly amazing work on a shoestring…read morebudget.

I love Raphael House! I used to know it well. The brothers and the sisters there are wonderful…read more The food was fantastic. It's been a long time since I've seen it. I would love to visit again~ soon!

As the Executive Director, I feel it's my responsibility to share with you that we now have 10…read moreboard members that spend over 100 hours monthly to ensure we have a great program for kids/youth every Saturday. We are constantly trying new projects based on the feedback we receive from students and guardians. Please take the time to bring your kids or join us as a volunteer. I guarantee this will be the most rewarding program as a volunteer and the most nurturing program for kids/youth every Saturday from 12-5. I guarantee this because every board member and volunteers have heart. Everyone present wants to be here and they jumped through 15 hoops to get qualified to be there. Don't take my word for it, come by and see.

Great organization doing important youth development work in West Oakland. Best place to do…read morecommunity service in West Oakland...every Saturday!

Apparently, my previous review of this Oakland facility (2 weeks ago) was removed. Understandable…read more After all, it was a vivid, accurate, albeit unflattering description of my decades long experience(s) with this particular location with a focus on a specific recent event and individual epitomizing ongoing abysmal management practices. As for YELP? Ha! Not even a courtesy contact to inform me of said removal or conversation regarding the defense of my position. C'est la vie... 3.4 YELP Stars currently? Imagine the score if H4H management were not compelling YELP to remove negative narratives written by offended potential customers. I shall craft my narrative a bit differently this time - Been visiting this facility for a long time (15+ years?) due to its close proximity and my profession (General B Remodel Contractor) visiting mostly on behalf of my clients. Frankly, I primarily go next door to "The Reuse People" which is far more stable/fair/consistent regarding their business practices. Half the time, I struggle in personal debate, standing out front of this H4H facility, asking myself "do I want to endure, yet another, frustrating/disappointing waste of my time?"... Most of the people you meet at this facility are friendly volunteers. They are not expected to engage dialogue beyond the very basics. However, "management" is another story entirely. Were I to describe the many, many, (many) unhappy occasions I have experienced with management, it would make you wonder how Jimmy Carter (RIP) ever got involved with this organization. Here's a typical interaction/scenario from 2 weeks ago. I noticed a large 3X5 framed picture mounted on the wall some 8-10 feet above the floor in the rear showroom. Every picture on that wall had a price tag ranging from between $60 - $125, except this one which had no price. I went to the front desk to inquire about it and met "NICK". Now "NICK" has rarely provided the same name twice over the many years so, I don't need to change his name to protect an identity here. LOL Conversation as follows: Jerry: Nick, I would like to take down the picture from the wall for closer review before purchase, It's too high up for a proper exam. Nick: Sorry, we can only take the picture down after purchase. Jerry: Hmm, OK, what is your return policy? Nick: No returns after purchase. Jerry: Seems like a pretty bad policy, don't you think? Buy it, take it down, find damage, and cannot return? Nick: Which one is it exactly? (We now walk toward the picture and I grab a short step ladder) Jerry: Nick, I'm sure I can grab it easily & put it back if it's not acceptable. Nick: OK, go ahead & take it down. Jerry: OK Nick, i'll buy it, how about $100 dollars? Nick: No price tag? You'll need to come back tomorrow to get a price. Jerry: Nick, this pic is nothing special, every picture on that wall ranges around $100, my offer is rather generous. Nick: We need to look it up online to determine a price. Jerry: Look what up exactly? It appears to be a print, in a frame, with glass and no signature anywhere? What will you look up? $100 dollars is more than fair. Nick: Sorry, come back tomorrow. Jerry: That is just plain "stupid" Nick: Shrugs, no response. Jerry: (As I was walking out the door) "Stupid". I'm guessing that our hapless H4H hero "Nick" is laboring under some frustrating management policies that compel his ongoing name change lest he be singled out for reprimand by customers & corporate superiors alike. I, on the other hand, prefer to use my real name. While this unfortunate exchange is relatively mild on the scale of disappointments at this facility, one might even consider this YELP review itself a waste of my time; which it is. Sigh... Maybe, I just need to get a sense of humor? Hmmm.... Perhaps I should start introducing myself to the H4H staff as Pancho Villa! Maybe that will get some laughs? Bottom line, If you are on a journey of personal evolution & self improvement; practicing patience and finding humor in the utterly absurd, this is a great place to exercise your discipline. Jerry aka Pancho Villa

Ever since I could remember, I've always wanted to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity (H4H). Like…read moreevery person, I made several reasons (more excuses) as to why I couldn't make the time. Work, family, weather, health and etc. I probably used every "excuse" in the book. As my goal for 2014 to do 100 community service hours, I finally registered. I used Govoluntr, https://govoluntr.com/ to sign up which directed me to the main website of H4H http://www.habitatebsv.org/. You'll have to create an account and then choose the date and location you want to volunteer. To my surprise and I do mean surprise, they had a construction site in Walnut Creek. Upon arrival, we signed in and met with the H4H crew. I learned that any (low income) family can apply for a H4H home, as long as you're in NEED of shelter, can repay a no interest bearing home loan, and volunteer several hundred hours (min 500) of building your home and other homes. All homes are built solely by volunteers and donated products. We were given 3 options this day: Outdoor siding, base board finish/touchup, or lay wood flooring. Since myself and my lil man, laid wood flooring before (long ago) we decided to tackle this project. Our team leader was Ian. My lil man grouped up with a younger team to finish one room and me and my honey finished one room. Maybe we didn't finish it at the end of our 7.5 hour day, but we were darn close. I tell you what I wished I had knee pads. This was a work out because the next day my butt and thighs were sore. This was an amazing experience. I would highly recommend any parent bring their child (must be atleast 16 years old) to experience this. They will learn a lot about repairing and building. Every time I drive by this community, I can actually say I helped build that house. That alone is gratification. So no more excuses everyone. I work 8-10 hour days, family, yelp, church, kids practice/games and I found time to give back to the community. Put down the remote control and find a nearest volunteer service in your community and make a difference in someone's life. Next on my list Princess Project...here I come!!