As a transplant to the Bay Area I was looking for ways to better connect to the community and make…read moresome positive friendship along the way. Little did I know that I would be in for a transformative ride. I've gained invaluable training and have had opportunities to step into leadership roles to refine my leadership skills. I'm a better version of myself as a Junior Leaguer and I can proudly share that this is an incredible community of women who believe in each other and collaborate to build up a better community! Don't hesitate to reach out for info. Explore the Membership opportunity. It's a treasure!

The Junior League is a wonderful charity to support. I have been a member for many years, When I…read moremoved to London, I transferred my membership to the Junior League of London. When I moved to Portland, Oregon, I joined the league in Portland. When I moved back to the SF Bay Area, I transferred my membership back to the Jr. League of Palo Alto. I am currently a Sustainer Emeritus of the Jr. League of Palo Alto! Judy Palm

I love being a BUILD mentor. Once a week, you and two other mentors meet with a group of 4-5 high…read moreschool students and help them develop a business idea. They create a PowerPoint presentation, participate in 3 showcases and submit a written business plan based on their product. This culminates into a business plan competition where they compete against other BUILD teams from nearby high schools. It's held at Stanford's GSB and is a huge accomplishment for the kiddos. My team Star Mentality came in 2nd place and it was amazing to see them present their product with poise, maturity, and humor. The memorable moments include taking them out on a Saturday looking for outfits to wear at the competition or eating dinner with them at Chili's prepping for the showcases. The kids made this an amazing experience. I've volunteered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters since high school and this is an equally awesome program. So awesome, I'm returning as an E2 mentor. I'm getting my team ready to meet a real venture capitalist in order to secure funding to start their business. If you can't commit to mentoring, volunteer to be a tutor. You'll love it!

BUILD is one of the most well funded, connected and professionally run non-profits I've…read moreencountered. I found them through the Cisco Volunteer Fair and what stood out compared to the other after-school program is their huge college acceptance rate and their approach using entrepreneurship to incentivize students that are just bouncing at school. They have branches in the East Bay and Peninsula and I know people who are very dedicated to the cause. Their Peninsula office looks like a tech startup. I signed up to be a mentor. To be a mentor is like applying to school and job all over again. You have a phone interview, need to provide references, and write essays on why you want to be a part of BUILD. They do a background check on you because you're working with children. I volunteered on the Peninsula E1 with Woodside High School paired with a co-mentor with 5 students. Jacyln, the BUILD rep, was there every day and a great resource for us and Mr Moses, the teacher was a great person to reign in the kids. Being a mentor is an exercise time, patience, frustration and exuberance while you're crafting a product, business plan and presentation with them. At the end their hard work is presented at the BPC at Stanford School of Education in a huge hurrah! For Peninsula, if you want a more established system, go to the Sequoia High. But if you want to work with underdogs and be more unscripted then go to Woodside or Carlmont High. The other mentors are very talented and dedicated to the cause. We drive an hour and a half across the bridge from work each Thursday in order to be here. We spend more time on the road we do with our mentees but it's definitely worth it. If we could do this next year we will definitely do the E2-E4 class at their main office which is closer to the 101 Freeway.

hubby surprised me with a cheese making 101 class at collective roots this weekend. didn't know…read morethat this place existed in east palo alto and must admit was a little wary of the location, but once we got there it felt like we were at someone's private residence. there is a beautiful garden with herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, chicken coop with hens and roosters, and beehives! we made 5 different yogurts and cheeses in our short 3 hour class: -yogurt - went through the steps of yogurt making using culture from store bought yogurt -greek yogurt/yogurt cheese - let the yogurt drain and have a richer yogurt -cultured butter - yogurt culture in fresh butter -ricotta - super easy to make and enjoy -mozzarella - fresh mozzarella in 1 hour the class was enjoyable, we got to meet lots of new people and learned a lot about local produce and cheese making. the best part was using the fruits, herbs, and honey right from the grounds of collective roots! nothing like fresh, local produce. great experience...can't wait for cheese making 102!

From the owner: The Collective Roots Community Garden provides an opportunity for gardening skill-building,…read moreresource sharing, and community empowerment in East Palo Alto, CA. Operated by 501(c)3 non-profit Fresh Approach, the garden offers a place for community members to gain hands-on experience with organic gardening. Through our workshops, volunteer workdays, and community resources, we equip families with the skills and means to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables. Residents of East Palo Alto can enjoy additional free resources, such as a tool lending library and free seeds, while qualifying residents can apply for free home garden installation and use of garden plots at the Collective Roots garden. By building a strong, sustainable network of local growers, we're improving access to healthy food while helping preserve the food sovereignty of the many cultures that call East Palo Alto their home.

Kepler's is our local bookstore, and we're happy to support every opportunity that we can. I just…read morerecently got into reading, specifically fourth wing, and my girlfriend is 100% supportive of my new hobby. In fact, we just purchased a copy of Threshing Day, which is funny because we pre-ordered that book on Amazon, and then realized we have the luxury of purchasing that same book from Kepler's. It is a bonus that the workers there are patient and helpful, which only reinforces the idea to support local bookstores. Always support local bookstores! And bookstores as a whole! And spread the word! Thanks Kepler's!

Historically significant bookstore that touches upon the beatniks, musicians and bohemians…read more I love this long-lived bookstore. It opened originally across the street in 1955 by conscientious objector Roy Kepler. He had ties to and thought along the same lines as Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the founder of City Lights Books in San Francisco. Ken Kesey, Jerry Garcia and loads of other literary and musical bohemians have mentioned the impact this bookstore had on their lives. Support your local bookstore and come here.

One of those moments when you are hesitant to enter and you friend convince to go inside and take a…read morelook. The reason of my doubtfulness to get into the store was fear. Fear that it was a too posh store for me and it would look weird to just say the classic 'just browsing today'. What a great surprise to find out that The Shop is, actually, a thrift shop. Posh, but second hand clothes at really good prices. Everything in the store is impecable, clean, well organized by colors and styles and in great state. I got 2 great deals that look simply fantastic on me (will post pics of that soon:). Got a jacket from Max Mara for just $20, very chic and fitting and another dark brown corduroy blazer for just $15 of no name brand but equally super fitting and flattering. I was beyond happy when I left the store. This is not your casual Salvation Army, this is high end stuff well taken care of at great prices (even the high brand with higher prices were not very expensive).

Prices have risen and selection has worsened. Books are $8,…read morefor example. They used to be $4! Just a small item but it shows that customers are not #1 anymore. Profit is. No Bueno!

Great finds in store for bargain prices! Feels good to donate as they really reach out and help…read morethose who are very in need.

St Francis Center is a great place to donate whatever clothing or small kitchen appliances. You are…read morelooking to donate. They allow people in need to fill three bags and it's free of charge to them. This truly helps people who are in need and especially the ones who are starting a new life here in California from other countries. B. Larocque

Awesome nonprofit that proactively advocates, educates & protects nature & open spaces in the Bay…read moreArea

From the owner: POST protects open space on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of…read moreall. POST is creating a network of protected lands where people and nature connect and thrive. These lands are preserved forever so present and future generations benefit from the careful balance of rural and urban landscapes that makes our region extraordinary! POST cares about helping people discover and enjoy these special landscapes. Check out our events (guided hikes, bike rides, family outings and more!) and trail guides to help connect with nature. Learn more on our website!

We hosted a Celebration of Life event here, and everything went very smoothly. The rental cost was…read morevery reasonable too. The grounds and the El Palo Alto room were very clean and tidy. All staff members were very helpful and kind. They have a loading dock straight to the back of the kitchen for easy decor and catering loading. Ceiling projector worked perfectly, and AV was easy to hook up. The ceiling speakers had a weird echo and were difficult to hear, so I recommend bringing your own speakers if you're hosting a large event. We were able to set out round dining tables for nearly 170 guests for lunch, and there was plenty of space for everyone, plus a buffet line, bar, beverage station, and some activity stations. They had plenty of furniture for us to use - all of it was kept in great shape, and easy to set up. The automatic roller shades were easy to use, and the AC worked great once we had the correct temperature and settings dialed in. Our event was on a very hot day in August, but the room was very comfortable. The facility coordinator John was amazing and super helpful for our day-of setup and teardown needs and questions.

It's always nice here , the service is great by John , the quality of the place is new, the…read morebathrooms are clean and it's great having ADa's cafe next to center to get all your snacks!! Very good value with free library on site , amazing staff. And there's tennis courts!!

This place is so gold. I have heard of it for many years but never came by until a few months ago,…read moreand am so glad I did. The neighborhood is definitely very fortunate to have such a valuable asset, and I just wished I had stopped by many years ago. So one thing to keep in mind, and I'm just mentioning this due to some of the negative reviews I looked through: this is a nonprofit. In other words, it's not your like equinox or rumble or some other trendy elitist organization feeding into your personal desire for feeling of entitlement (2020 amiright). Rather it's a small cohesive community of awesome and kind people winning at life and helping each other be winners as well. Nobody is going to run up and shine your shoe as you walk in, but if you need tips on a workout or support picking up a new hobby of some artistic endeavor, or just want to be a winner and be around happy healthy positive people, then it doesn't get better than this place imho!

The Riekes Center is the place I look forward to the most every week. The people there are…read moresupportive and fun. The Riekes Center is overall a great place to be.

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of our preferred charities. Lets face it, there were people…read morealready hurting before COVID hit and now that's all the more exacerbated. When it comes to food security or a lack thereof, you need a charity that literally helps put food on peoples table. They provide food for those that would otherwise have to do without. They also take fruits and vegetables (You must call ahead and set it up) along with the more typical donations. In addition you can also volunteer to help sort and setup. They have a website to help direct you. However, it is very popular and sometimes days are already filled up. As with all charities they need our help. How can you help? 1) Food donations. Every bit helps 2) Volunteer to help out 3) Cash is king. Consider a cash donation so they can pay for operations and buy essential items that they don't get donated. I mean how many cans of pumpkin filling can you make someone eat right?

I have incurable cancer. I have been through chemo and have lingering serious side effects so…read moregetting to a food pantry is hard not to mention. I don't have a car. I found Second Harvest Food Bank delivers food to the door. So I applied and they have been delivering to my door when they don't send lazy delivery drivers that leave my food outside my apartment building for everyone to get, or in the lobby or in the mail room to leave my food to rot. Even if I could go to the lobby or mail room, I can't lift my box and bring it up five floors. Not to mention, I don't get notification that the food box has even been delivered so I don't know if it's been delivered to the lobby, mail room, or left outside. I have called several times explaining I am not getting my food boxes, even though they send out another food box 5 days later, I shouldn't have to wait five extra days for food. Not to mention 7 out of 10 times I get my box it's loaded with rotten fruit and vegetables full of mold. To which by the way I am highly allergic to food mold. I have called. I have spoke to supervisors. I have spoken to several different people at Second Harvest Food Bank. They apologize. Which I appreciate, but that doesn't help me with my food. They said if you don't want to receive moldy fruit and vegetables come and pick up the box yourself. Nice I would if I could. I'm sure others with my health issues and my age would attest to the fact that we would do a lot of things if we were physically capable of doing it. So apologies fall on deaf ears because I still don't receive my food boxes when I should and like I said half the time the food is rotten full of mold. Shaking my head because I see the commercials and I see people donating to which I appreciate. I see people in their cars in line getting all this beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables not to mention holiday boxes to which I don't receive a holiday box I don't get anything to celebrate Easter, Thanksgiving no turkey, no Christmas box just beans and rice is what people who get their food delivered get along with moldy fruit and vegetables. I guess that is Second Harvest Food Bank's way of saying happy holidays. You don't get a holiday box you don't need to celebrate a holiday.