Gracious, friendly, and helpful staff. They arranged a last minute ride for me with a volunteer,…read moreproviding required transportation to and from a hospital procedure. Very grateful for their help.

The mission of this organization is simple and clear - spend an hour of your time with a lonely…read moresenior and make a huge difference in their life! I have visited several different 'old friends', each more interesting than the next, but what I have enjoyed the most is making a connection with someone and being able to see them regularly. Little Brothers always needs volunteers and they have a great new website that is easy to navigate. You really do walk away from the volunteer experience with a huge grin on your face and a skip in your step. No one wants to grow older alone. I really felt like my time was well spent.

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!

I have been a Volunteer 10 years of now. The CEO Dawn ,Ron Delvin& the entire staff. Are truly by…read morefar amazing the loyality, kindness the programs that they teach kids. From 14-24-are beyond awesome. It has change my life I grew up with both parents. Nice home&:cabin in Bear Valley/ My dad wk for Delta Airlines 36 years. Travel 1st- class. These kids who come into SYS have had some rough hard times. Whenever they are making music recording . Moe teaching High School to cook/ clean. To prepare them for jobs All kids that I've seen they love it. I admire the entire staff. Being a Volunteer it's work. I love it every time. I go in clean it all makes sense when you see what this place is truly all about. I want to continue to donate$$to see place continue to help kids. To become better to get hired. I have met people in their late 30's. To come in say Hi they tell me they were@ SYS. When they were 12 ! I love hearing wonderful uplifting stories. Hats off to CEO/ Staff

This place is incredible the way they deal w/ kids and families. It seems to be full of love and…read morethey have the knowledge to work w/ the system and get kids the help needed - in a compassionate way. I had the opportunity to attend their event last year and I am just so impressed with the staff of Sunset Youth Services. Apparently they deal with families all over the city, not just in the Sunset as one might suspect. Bravo to the whole group in having the courage to tackle these real life issues like drugs, violence, abuse, and prostitution that many of these children deal with everyday. Can you imagine the pressure of that? We all need a force such as this staff to exert intellect wrapped in love to effect the hearts of our kids and the capacity to advance them into mature people that give back to society. I know there are several people that have gone there - and gone on to live successful lives supporting there own familys, and giving back to the community. It's awesome.

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.

A small-but-mighty organization that has stayed true to its mission for over 25 years!…read more In a nutshell, great people who do great things for the community and city :)

Help the homeless WHILE devouring delectable Truffles?!?!? Yep, you read right!…read more Last night, February 9th was the second time that I've volunteered At The Crossroads (ATC) through One Brick, a non-profit organization that makes volunteering easy with NO long-term commitment. Here's the link to my One Brick review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/one-brick-san-francisco#hrid:CnCnP7lsYhtMlxBnI6mPJw WHAT'S ATC? ATC is a wonderful organization that reaches out to homeless youths in the Mission and Tenderloin area through night time street outreach, one-on-one counseling services and collaboration with other social service agencies. The caring and compassionate staff at ATC refers to homeless youths as their "clients" which not only takes away the stigma some people may associate with the homeless but shows how much respect they have for them as a human being. During the street outreach, the counselors distribute food, healthcare products, and clothes which slowly helps to build a relationship with their clients. Through counseling, the counselors help their clients determine their short-term and long-term goals (i.e. finding housing, gaining employment, pursuing their passion, etc) and work with various social service agencies to help them achieve their goals. HOW DOES VOLUNTEERING HELP ATC? By helping to sort, organize, clean, and/or pack supplies to be distributed, it allows the counselors more face time with their clients. For example, if 25 volunteers help for 2 hours, counselors will have 50 ADDITIONAL HOURS to spend with their clients (instead of being bogged down with sorting/organizing/cleaning/packing the supplies themselves). HOW DO YOU VOLUNTEER FOR ATC? I signed-up through One Brick which takes less than 2 minutes. You register for an account, go on the calendar and RSVP for an event. The ATC event is called, "Supply Prep for the Homeless" and normally occurs one Wednesday a month from 6-8 PM. The event is limited to about 25 people and spaces get filled quickly, so make sure to sign-up at least one week prior. WHAT'S INVOLVED WHEN VOLUNTEERING FOR ATC? It's very simple, show up with a smile and a helping hand! :) When you enter ATC, you're greeted by a One Brick Event Manager who signs you in and gives you a nametag. Rob Gitin, Director & Co-Founder of ATC will then explain the various workstations and what's involved. Then, you can decide which activity you would like to partake in for the evening. ALL of the work is easy and not labor intensive. There are normally 4-5 stations: 1. CANDY PACKING (My Fav): Pack chocolates and other sweets donated from the SF Food Bank into small individual zip lock bags. 2. TOILETRIES PACKING: Pack soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, sanitary pads etc. 3. TIMBUK2 BAG CLEANING: ATC wants to ensure that all of their clients receive clean like-new items, so volunteers wash minor stains and grime off, trim extra thread/fabric and remove any debris stuck in the velcro. 4. SORT/FOLD/ORGANIZE CLOTHING: Sort through and fold t-shirts, outerwear and jeans, and organize by gender and sizes. All of the clothing is new and donated by Old Navy and Levis. 5. GREETING CARD MAKING: Utilize your artistic and decorative skills by making Birthday Cards and ones for special occassions. WHY YOU SHOULD VOLUNTEER FOR ATC? The two-hour volunteering events passes by very quickly especially when there's music playing in the background, other volunteers to chitchat with and yummy snacks (fresh cut Asian pears and TRUFFLES) being passed out by Rob. After every event, One Brick organizes a dinner nearby (e.g. Pancho Villa) where all volunteers are welcome and encouraged to join. This gives you a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and network outside of your social inner circle. You never know who you may meet right? Most importantly, just taking two hours out of your busy schedule will help to improve the quality of life for these youths and empower them to transform their lives! One of my 2011 resolutions was to volunteer at least 2 times a month and so far I've been successful thanks to ATC and One Brick... Thank you both, for not only make volunteering easy and fun but also giving me a NEW APPRECIATION FOR LIFE and THE GIFT OF HUMILITY!

I am a proud Spark board member! We definitely celebrate women who ignite global change…read more And we look to ignite that Spark in our very own local community through networking events, Cocktails for a Cause, Speaker Series and even our annual Black and Pink Ball! Built from the ground up by young women of vision and passion, Spark seeks to engage all y'all--Bay Area professionals who want to learn more about philanthropy and the lifestyle of giving. You don't have to be a 75-year-old billionaire to make a difference--just a few dollars RIGHT NOW can make all the difference to struggling women around the world. What can you do? --Visit our website! --Volunteer! --Join and become a member! --Attend an event! --Email us questions! --AND...you are cordially invited to Nightlife Napa Valley at City Hall on Thursday, March 13. Nightlife Napa Valley Thursday, March 13, 2008 6:30 - 9:30 PM City Hall 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, CA 94102 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/94425429 Website: http://sparksf.org/ $40 for Members; $50 in advance for Non-members; $60 door *Ooooh, now's a great time to join Spark and SAVE! :O * * * * * If you worship our stunning annual Black and Pink Ball, then you will adore Nightlife Napa Valley on Thursday, March 13th at San Francisco's City Hall. Join 500 Spark members as we enjoy an evening of sparkling conversation and wine tasting from over 80 premier wineries, while dancing the night away to 2006 Best of the Bay DJ Label on the turntables. The Napa Valley Vintners are generously hosting this wine tasting event, and all ticket proceeds will benefit Spark programming. Spark is an exciting young nonprofit dedicated to supporting grassroots women's organizations at home and around the world.

Spark has grown from a small grass-roots organization run by an incredible bunch of young motivated…read morewomen to a true bay area philanthropic institution. I am honored to know some of the women who started this group, and I am constantly amazed by what they have accomplished in such a short amount of time. The amount of time and effort they put into furthering worthy causes is humbling. The events these ladies put on range from the casual cocktail parties for a cause to all out galas that are worthy of the name. But they are always places to be seen. Why not have a night out on the town, help Spark, and in turn, help a great cause?!?! It's like win-win-win. Bruce Wayne would totally be a member and so should you!

Interesting historical building ..Youth programs ..community center ..visited in 2008 ..back in…read more2026 ..Chinatown ..neat

Where to start?! There are just so many positive things anyone who's been to or been a part of the…read moremany programs can say! First: Donaldina Cameron House is a faith-based organization. I grew up going to their summer day camp program (Cameron Ventures), which entailed daily trips to Golden Gate Park with the occasional overnight or day trip to a theme park or other cool place around the Bay Area. From 5-7th grade I was a participant in this program. There are so many memories that I've taken away from it and have learned a lot! While the Christian faith is obvious with this program, Christianity is never pushed onto anybody. I didn't grow up with any faith, but made a personal choice later on down the line. Through the Cameron Ventures program, I've forged lifelong friendships. Once in high school, you would become a volunteer leader for the younger kids. For 5 summers I took on this role and saw myself grow exponentially each and every summer. Not only were my social skills improving, but I was learning great leadership skills, communication, teamwork, and planning....LOTS AND LOTS OF PLANNING! From 6th-12th grade I participated in their Friday night youth fellowship program, which allowed me to meet with guys and girls in my age group every week and pretty much.....just hang out! Activities were planned for us by our "leader," who was a college-aged or older mentor. My leaders became really great friends of mine over the years and I can give a lot of credit of who I've become to them. Once in highschool, my peers and I were the ones doing the activity planning. This was where we had to be creative because we were planning activities over a 3 hour period each week for about 15 to sometimes 30 guys and girls our age. These were some of the most fun times in my life! There's really no way to give you my entire testimonial through this Yelp review because the lifetime effects are clear. The people that I've met are my brothers and sisters. You form bonds with people and that can't be replaced. At Cameron House, we have a ton of fun! Often laughing until I'm about to pee in my pants or until I've gotten a full ab workout from laughing too much. If you're at all interested in at least seeing what they have to offer, check out the website! So much good has come out of this organization! http://www.cameronhouse.org/ Shout out to my commission! S.A.C.R.E.D. 4 LIFE!!!

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.