I volunteered for the 'Disney Give a Day, Get a Day' program, and painted a house with Hands On…read moreOrlando. I used to volunteer a lot, then got out of it as I got older, and was happy to have volunteering put in the forefront of the news with Disney. I knew the volume of people signing up for events, and was pleasantly surprised when I painted a house with Hands On Orlando. The day consisted of painting four houses, with 100 volunteer expected. The HOO coordinator was very organized, arrived early and was very friendly. There was a HOO coordinator for each house, and one who monitored the whole project. They were very clear in their directions, and made a very humid day painting a house in not a great neighbor hood a great experience. Being an annual passholder for Disney, I wasn't worried about the processing time for the receipt of the Disney voucher, and yet it was in my email by Tuesday. Its kind of sad, the coordinator said that the month before, for the same event they had only twenty volunteers, and now all their events are full. While we appreciate all the Disney is doing to help communities, I sure wish more people would volunteer without having to be bribed, and I can't wait til we do it again!

Amazing organization! I love the Hands On network!…read more When I lived in Nashville, I frequently volunteered with Hands on Nashville to sort and create bags of groceries for those in the area living with AIDS. I was also a captain for Hands on Nashville Day, where we painted and spruced up a local high school, and even helped out at the animal shelter a few times. When I moved back to O-town I was super excited to find a local Hands On chapter. There is truly something for everyone here. Whether you like to work with your hands and get dirty, or just sit and hang out with some at-risk kids, or play with the puppies and kitties at the local shelter, Hands on Orlando has a huge network of opportunities, linking you with others who share your passions and organizations that run on the support of volunteers. To sing up, they keep things super simple. Log on to www.handsonorlando.com, create an account, then click on the calendar, and click on the event you wish to volunteer for. A quick sign up and print off of the waiver (or your coordinator can give you one at the time of the event), and you are good to go! The volunteer coordinators are super fun and work well with the organizations to ensure a smooth-flowing but fun volunteer experience. Since I've been back in Orlando, I have had the pleasure of volunteering with Coalition for the Homeless, Clean the World, and even the City of Casselberry through Hands on Orlando. This is a great way to get to know all the awesome local groups that take care of our community. I encourage everyone to find at least one Saturday morning a month to give back in 2015!

We had a work event here after eating lunch at Cafe Boutique which was 0.2 miles away. I made a…read morequick passby when heading to lunch to ensure there was enough parking and there was. I walked in and was directed to one of the large conference areas in the rear area which had plastic chairs all set in place for the large bunch of our group. The bathroom was very interesting in that they offer a lot of stalls but the handing washing basins are all on the outside, two for the women and two for the men's side.

Came here for a single basketball game! 15 dollars to watch one basketball game! You can get UCF…read moretickets for cheaper! For it to be called a community center charging people these outrageous prices is a shame!

Sign up to volunteer with a group or as an individual. Today in less than 3 hours my women's…read morehistory month group was able to package 13,000lbs of food which will impact over 11,000 people next week. The staff and volunteers are amazing, the work they do is needed and the systems they have in place makes it simple and easy to make a difference!

Went for an event here today and couldn't have been more impressed. Ian showed us the facility and…read moreexplained the breadth of 2nd harvests' outreach. As a group us yelpers relabeled and organized 4 pallets of cereal. It was a well organized and impressive undertaking. I am so excited to Geri evolved with this great organization. 10/10 go on their website and sign up to help out, and if you don't have time to donate consider giving financally. Every little bit helps. You will be glad you took the opportunity to give back to your local community in a truly meaningful way

Yesterday I had the opportunity to volunteer at The Kitchen House & my experience was such a…read moredelight. At first I felt excited and nervous, just because it's a new experience for me.However, Nicole, Blake, Megan & even Ms. Ivann made me feel so welcome! I joined in on a culinary class based on sauces, stocks and soups and the guests did an amazing job. The concept of the volunteer is to guide the guests & just be a kind person in their culinary journey This venue is breathtaking, the kitchen is awesome and the knowledge you gain is so worth the experience. I will definitely be back to volunteer again! The guests made: mac and cheese, green bean casserole, kale soup & an awesome salad with the veggies sourced from their own garden Please take a class! I know i definitely want to!

The Kitchen House is a not-for-profit garden and cooking school that focuses on teaching healthy…read moreplant-forward recipes to adults and children. Ever since Publix Aprons Cooking School closed, I've been looking for a cooking school that has fun adult classes. The Kitchen House has just started a monthly "book club" called Plot to Plate where they feature a book that relates to or includes recipes. This month was Lessons in Chemistry so my friends and I decided to attend. We bought our tickets in advance as classes can sell out. The classes are different prices depending on what the class is. The house is in a residential neighborhood in College Park and does not have a dedicated parking lot so I would suggest getting there early as you have to find a spot along the street. When we arrived, we were greeted and given a welcome drink, in this case Cardamom Decaf Coffee because it was cold out. One of the instructors said that normally we would walk the garden at the beginning of class and also eat outdoors but since it was cold, we were going to skip the garden and eat inside. Once everyone arrived (cooking classes can have up to 20 people), we met in the lobby to start talking about different themes of the book. Then it was time to wash up and go to the kitchen. All the ingredients were set out for us and we picked the Veggie Pot Pie table with other attendees. The instructor gave us some knife skills lessons and then we all started cooking, using the recipes at our station. Each station makes one recipe so you don't get to make everything. And, the instructors and volunteers don't show you how to make everything first (like Publix Aprons used to do). But, if you just dig in and start going, it is a lot of fun. We had some questions along the way, like is there a spatula we can use? Or, is this the flour or the cornstarch? The volunteers were great and answered everything in a friendly way. As it said you could do in the welcome email we received before the class, some folks brought their own wine and the Kitchen House provided glasses and would pour for you. I think if we go back, we would definitely bring our own wine. My friends and I made the drop biscuits for the Veggie Pot Pie, which were surprisingly easy to make. We were finished early so we also make the Brownies for dessert that used olive oil and maple syrup instead of butter and sugar. When everyone was done cooking, we gathered in the lobby again while the volunteers cleaned and set up the table for dinner. Then, it was time to eat! Dinner was served buffet style and the Kitchen House split our food for people who had different dietary restrictions. For example, some of the recipes used non-dairy alternatives as some people in the class were lactose intolerant and one person had a mushroom allergy so they got a small spinach gallette instead of the mushroom Gallette for everyone else. As we sat down to eat, we discussed the book more in depth. Everything tasted great and we had a wonderful time. We received all the recipes in an email after the class so we could make the foods at home. I will definitely be looking at other adult classes here.

We came here for an open house, which included food, drinks, entertainment and plenty of hands-on…read morecrafts. We toured the facilities, the workshops, we actually sat down for some demos from the visual arts department, and then gathered around a kiln for a raku ceramics demo, which was ideal on a cold winter afternoon (winter in Florida?). Also, we were able to visit the gallery, which was hosting a photograph exhibit on the history of turn of the century Lake Apopka, about 40 miles away due West, and that was very interesting and enlightening. We also printed a poster, among other things. Personally, I think it was fun to talk/meet some of the faculty, not that I am immediately looking for a new teacher, but it is good to pick one who has some similarities, or none at all. Challenge yourself. After this visit, I will consider taking some classes here. Or come to more events. I really like Crealdé.

Please read before you get scammed. I purchased a class here and the policy stated that you have 7…read moredays before the first session to cancel and get a refund. I called today (9 days before the first day) and I was told that it was too late and the last day was Yesterday (10/09/23) (10 days before first session). I pointed out the policy and was told that "session" didn't mean class and it was incorrect so I couldn't get my money back. This is fraudulent. I will be contacting the correct state department for this. This is extremely unprofessional and clearly lacks clarity. If your policy is outdated, correct it on the website. I've attached the policy as a picture.

I have been going to the Winter Park YMCA for over 10 years. This location is amazing, the staff…read moreand members really make you feel like part of the community. They offer so much from personal training to yoga to swim lessons. There is always something to do on to of the regular work out floor. They have a large gymnasium they use for the larger classes and cycle. The membership is such a great value for everyone, they have pricing for single adults, couples and families as well as for different income levels. They also do events every quarter to give back to the community. If you like yoga the 2pm Sunday class is a must!

I have been a member for a little over a month now and enjoy coming in. The facility and equipment…read moreare clean and well kept. There are plenty of cardio machines and various free weights, so even when it is busy you typically do not have to wait around for something or at least that long. I usually go early in the morning but wish they stayed open a bit later and had more expanded hours on the weekend. Equipment wise they are not really lacking for a gym of this size and someone on staff told me that they may be adding a Deadlift platform, which would be a nice addition. I have yet to take advantage of the numerous other things available to me as a member (like the pool, Y360, etc.). Overall a quality gym for a good value.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the best time in Orlando, weather-wise, for organized…read moreevents. Thus, the American Cancer Society's "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk was a great experience with perfect weather and enthusiastic participants. Held at Lake Eola Park on a breezy Saturday morning, the spirit of Orlando was alive and kicking. As with most races, there were vendors giving out free items and supplying information. Starbucks graciously provided coffee and cookies and music was playing to get people pumped up. Initially, participants were asked to raise at least $100 in order to be given a t-shirt. But the morning of the race, that policy was changed and all walkers who registered were given one. Once the race began, and everyone passed under the arch of pink and white balloons, the energy level seemed to increase even more. Unlike other downtown races, there were no mile markers which made the race seem a bit longer than normal. Adding to that feeling, unfortunately there was a missing volunteer towards the end of the race and about 50 of us kept going not knowing where to turn which caused us to go an extra 2 miles. Once we had realized the mistake we were able to join the rest of the group and make it back to the finish line with no other hiccups. Overall it's a great event from start to finish and just happens to reside near Panera which seemed to be a fabulous resting place for everyone once they were all done.

Seems as if people know this organization exists but not much else. ACS offers wonderful supportive…read moreservices to those affected by cancer. I again, spent some time volunteering for this agency. One impressive feature of this chapter is the gift room with donated wigs, breast prosthetics and other items available to women with breast cancer. The ACS also offers a 24 hour support hotline to those who need support as well. At the time I volunteered there was also a program that helped patients get to their doctor appointments as well. Of course, educational material and speakers may be available if needed. There are special programs for children, like the camp and a special Disney day for children with cancer. The ACS is always planning and holding events to raise money and awareness for the cause. If you or anyone you know would like to volunteer, call and set up an appointment. You can fill out an application, attend a training, and find out what opportunities may fit you. If you have cancer and are in need of supportive services, please contact them to find out what assistance may be available to you.

this place is a grass roots transformer. if you want to give and receive this is the place. i am…read morea case manager who was referred one heart a couple months ago. since i try to go to the retail store on saturday opening at 8am or swing by on one of the four days they have a food pantry to pick up meat, fresh produce, and non-perishables for my clients who just move into a place or are presently unsheltered. this agency has also provided items for a newborn with a single mother, a veteran who was just housed after being homeless for 5 years and more at no cost to myself or the person in need. if you want your donated treasures to go to a place that can multiply. give to one heart for women and children on rio grande. god bless you stephanie you gotta meet ms kay she is the sweetest ;)

I left the One Heart April food distribution feeling honestly hurt and frustrated. The cars were…read moregetting loaded with multiple boxes of food, while those of us who walked had to wait the whole time--just to be handed one small bag at the end. It didn't feel fair at all. People without cars are often the ones who need the most help, yet we got the least. Watching that happen right in front of us was really upsetting. I truly hope they do better and treat everyone equally next time.