You don't move to the City of Excellence to be average. Thank God I ain't average!…read more I moved into my new home in Plano two weeks ago and the water towers say it all. I'm right where I belong, in the City of Excellence ;) here's the thing... you aren't excellent if you aren't leaning in to help others. I'm passionate about a ton of things, giving back to others is one of the most important. I rescheduled my every 56 days blood donation to a nearby American Red Cross but being in my new town for two weeks seeing all that it gives, I knew it was time to research how I can make an immediate impact. North Texas Food Bank was a result of my research and I'm so excited about today's effort. After relocating I suppose it's quite fitting to select "Pack and Box" it's literally all I'd been doing the past few weeks, why stop now?!! I had the greatest first time volunteer experience. I signed up last night right before bed because and knew I was going to the gym at 6a with my neighbor so I selected the 1p (arrive by 1230p) time slot. Creating a new volunteer account was super straight forward. I was adding this event to my calendar within minutes. I was greeted by the sweetest ladies upon arrival, offered a locker key (wear a fanny pack if you don't have pockets and wish to bring your phone in) as you aren't wearing aprons. I left my phone in the locker. We did a brief orientation, hand washing and then volunteered for our assignments. I've put together a ton of boxes lately, so I opted for packing. I'm not certain I've ever handled so much boxed milk in my entire lifetime! I was first in the assembly line working hand in hand with Apple juice volunteer and let me just say, we did the damn thang!!! It was such a fun experience I never took a single break. My right arm will soon remind me of this fact. We packed 960 boxes, totaling 20 pallets, weighing 28,800 lbs, creating 24,000 meals! I'm a numbers nerd and love the data following your shift. It makes it that much more rewarding. Impact you can see and feel. There were several corporate groups, families and solo volunteers. Everyone was very kind. I'll definitely be volunteering here on a regular basis as my schedule provides. Thank you so much North Texas Food Bank! As a foodie, meals for those in need is a cause I hold near and dear to my heart. Highly recommend if you're looking to serve others. There are a variety of opportunities. I selected this one today but I may explore others in the near future. Hands down a superb way to spend 3 hours, and the warehouse is nice and cool on a warm day. Perfect place to volunteer in the summer (:

Such a nice/big warehouse facility. Pretty clean and modern. My team and I came to volunteer, and…read morethe staff were all super helpful, and gave us good instructions and rules. The building is the size of 4 football fields, so it's massive. It felt so good to give back to our community. Please consider volunteering if you can, it's super easy to sign up and the process was super smooth.

Came at 3:15 and store was closed and empty. I'm Guessing…read morethis location isn't opened yet? Just 2 employees moving blue boxes around pretending they don't see me at the door ‍

super nice people at this location, unloaded my used computer equipment and carried it away and…read moreasked for more! They take donations of other items as well. Convenient drive through! Love it -

I volunteered today and they are very organized and they are not caught up in the politics of…read moregiving to the less fortunate. Everyone needs a boost every now and then. I am so glad that had the opportunity to volunteer. Thank you for taking care of people from the heart.

I've only been to Minnie's a couple of times, starting this year. I cannot be more thankful of a…read morebusiness like this.. I'm not sure what I was expecting, kind of foods etc But I was very surprised with the foods/beverages my family & I did get. Frozen foods, breads, drinks, donuts, many great (brand name items too) items! I wish I had found out about this food pantry sooner.

Wonderful non-profit agency that strives to improve the lives of Collin County residents by…read morechanneling the knowledge, skills and volunteer efforts of over 900 women. Their events are always fabulous and their fundraisers make it possible for dozens of other non-profits to operate succesfully. They accept monetary and in-kind donations year-round. If you're interested in joining they accept application via their website every April-June of the year. Highly recommended.

From the owner: The Junior League of Collin County, formerly known as Junior League of Plano, is an organization of…read morewomen committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

Wow. Just wow. I'm so blown away with this incredible place helping this homeless female vet in my…read moredire time of need. Reached out to them in desperation as I was living in my car and they reached out next morning asap eager to provide any assistance they could. I had been calling 20-30 homeless shelters and organizations a day trying to seek immediate shelter, and this ranch is the only place that stepped up to take me in . The owners are generous beyond words, just unconditional love and support every step of the way. Their cause is noble, their hearts are boundless, and they truly live by example. Could gush over them for days for all the help they've given me. Amazing housing accommodations- literally fully stocked cottage with the most tasteful decor and well thought out necessities already provided. If something wasn't there, they were eager to provide it asap. The farm is just adorable; all the animals are well taken care of and are such a pleasure to visit. It's quiet, comfortable, peaceful, and you can tell how much care was poured into putting these places together. Just all the little touches they've added. There's a full-sized oven/stove, refrigerator and freezer, microwave, washer and dryer provided, a place to shower, storage embedded for me to squirrel away belongings as needed, too lol. Roku TV was installed in my current unit today. Free and good Wi-Fi. Keurig for coffee. Even a water purifier! O_O Seriously what homeless shelter does that?? None. None I tell you. I've been there, lived in a shelter for 6 months, and this ranch blows every other place out of the water. If you are a woman veteran in need of housing assistance, please consider reaching out to Valor Ranch! If you are looking for a non-profit organization to support, I cannot recommend this lovely ranch enough!

don't get anywhere near the son or have any involvement with him. he's a loose cannon, at best.read more

I volunteer as a meal server at Our Daily Bread. This is one of Denton's facilities that serves our…read morehomeless population by providing supportive services that teach valuable skills to help people get back on their feet. The facility is clean and spacious and the food prepared is nutritious and healthy. Staff show genuine friendliness and professionalism to volunteers and clients. Volunteering at Our Daily Bread is a special part of my week.

Food is not even edible. I realize they are feeding the homeless, but they need to provide…read moresomething that doesn't look like it came out of a trash can. I recommend they cook soups. Bullion is cheap and goes a long way.

I reached out to Operation Once in a Lifetime seeking assistance and unfortunately left the…read moreinteraction feeling deeply uncomfortable and concerned. My point of contact was Patrick Sowers. One of the biggest red flags was being asked to send copies of my DD-214 containing sensitive personal identifiable information directly to a phone number. At no point was it clarified whether this was a secure work device or a personal cellphone. I was never offered a professional email address or secure document portal, which I found highly questionable given the nature of the documents involved. While I complied in an effort to move the process along, I was not comfortable doing so. In my experience, reputable organizations handling veterans' records typically have clear procedures and safeguards in place for transmitting sensitive information. Beyond the privacy concerns, the conversation itself was frustrating and unprofessional. Instead of feeling heard, I felt repeatedly invalidated, challenged, and put on the defensive regarding my own experiences and concerns. The interaction came across as passive-aggressive and unnecessarily contrarian. I also found it inappropriate that examples of other veterans' personal struggles were repeatedly brought into the conversation as comparisons. I contacted the organization for assistance with my own situation, not to hear about or be compared against the hardships of others. It felt dismissive and unprofessional. What should have been a supportive interaction instead felt judgmental and disrespectful. Trust and professionalism are critical when working with vulnerable veterans, and unfortunately I did not experience either here. Based on my experience, I would strongly encourage others to exercise caution when sharing sensitive personal information and to ask questions about how documents are being stored and protected before sending anything. Patrick Sowers is a fucking moron.

This place is really great! I love donating to here. They do so much for veterans…read more As a veteran myself, I want to say thank you!