As a fan of history and architecture, the Hollywood Women's Club certainly caught my eye as I was…read morewalking along the exercise path that runs along the historic Hollywood Beach Golf and Country Club across the street. Like many women's clubs in Florida, the Hollywood Women's Club was founded in 1922 during the Florida Land Boom years. In the 1920's women's clubs were formed to give back to the community. They became a way for women to get out of the house and assert their independence. They allowed women to get involved in politics and launched the women's rights movement. The Hollywood Women's Club predated the founding of the city and in 1924 they joined the General Federation of Women's Clubs. The first club members were the wives of officers in the J.W. Young Organization which was the development company building Hollywood. They met in the first clubhouse that was built on land donated by the founder of Hollywood, Joseph W. Young in 1927. Early club projects included donating hundreds of books to the first public library, holding tag sales to pay for health screenings for children, giving migrating farmers assistance with housing and welfare, getting the Miami Telephone Co. to bring the first telephone line to town, and collecting $12,000 during a war bonds drive. Today the club supports literacy programs, funds a youth scholarship, participates in the Hollywood Historical Society, supports the neighborhood crime watch, and provides financial aid to many state charities through the General Federation of Women's Clubs. The original plans for the clubhouse included an ornate Mediterranean Revival style. After the collapse of the land boom due to the Great Depression and several hurricanes the design was scaled back to a more affordable $25,000 Classical Revival style building in 1927. The building was listed as a a local historical landmark in 1985, and added to the National Register of Historic Place in 1995. Between 2012 and 2014 money was raised by the club and added to a grant to prevent the clubhouse from sinking into the sand. Other cosmetic work was also completed on this charming historical building. In 2022 the Hollywood Women's Club celebrated their 100th anniversary. During this time further electrical improvements and upgrades to the kitchen were made. Today the clubhouse is available to be rented for private events. The 1,200 square foot main event room has hardwood floors and a grand piano and can accommodate 60 people. There is also a catering kitchen. Information on how to rent the clubhouse and join and volunteer with this important civic organization can be found on the club website. If there are any upcoming events you can find that information as well. For instance they hold 2 round bingo nights for $10. The next bingo night is May 30th and they serve inexpensive drinks including alcohol and snacks. For over 100 years the women of Hollywood have been coming together to improve their local community as well as the state of Florida. Women's clubs have a legacy of helping their communities and it's nice to see that this one is still going strong today.

We hosted my mother's 90th birthday party at this venue. We could not have found a more perfect…read moreplace to have celebrated. From the initial inquiry call 6 weeks out to the event day the staff was immediately responsive, informative, kind and knowledgeable. The restored Women's Club is run by a staff of loving, dedicated volunteers. Every question that I had as our plans developed were addressed with amazing speed. The venue has been beautifully restored and we were honored to have our celebration here. Would not hesitate to recommend the Hollywood Women's Club venue. Thank you to the team that made this venue beautiful and available to us.

They do the things right, we had all the records from our newly adopted doggies, plus food, 2…read moremonths of flea, tick and heartworm, cannels, stroller, toys. Very impressive operations and you can tell they love all the animals they keep.

Another pet rescue, but I had gone to just before showing up to the abandoned told me to drive over…read morehere and check it out that they have three rooms full of cats and they're very nice..... upon chilling up with both of my toddlers in tow, the woman at the front desk was not very friendly. Told me that I needed to have an appointment to see the cats didn't understand why I was there without an appointment. She told me I had to wait to speak to the person in charge of the cats for the day..... then two minutes later told me to go ahead and sign in and go into the room with all the cats.... As I made my way through the crowded messy hallway, a random girl stops me to tell me to make sure my kids don't pull ears or tails (OBVIOUSLY)- no hey I'm so and so blah blah..., then I put my hands on the door to walk in with both of my kids who are very excited and I'm told that I can't have my bag..... it's a DIAPER bag people for the toddlers that are in Tow with me..... I asked if she could hold it for the 10 minutes while we would be in the room and she looked at me like I had asked her in Chinese....at which point I said forget it, this is becoming a mission just to see a couple cats when I could just adopt one off the side of the road. Some of these rescues really have a stick up their ass and do not make the adoption process very excited for families. We won't be back and we'll spread the word.

I took a ball python snake for a walk in the sunshine one Saturday... I visited for a volunteer…read moreevent with coworkers (hint hint, great team building thing!) and was very impressed with the staff and their commitment to the long term animal residents. They have the personalities of each animal resident down pat! We had a great time providing care for the animals and their habitats, feeding treats, and getting my finger gripped by a cute little opossum. If you ever find an injured wild animal, call them! If it's after hours, it's ok to drop them off in one of the special cages outside the front gate!

This place is so amazing! I had a baby possum that was left behind in my backyard & South Florida…read moreWildlife Center came to the rescue!

I found 9 Muses online for my husband who has schizoaffective disorder. He signed up to…read moreparticipate on Fridays. He enjoyed the experience for the most part. There were just a couple of down sides. Oakland Park is quite a distance from our home in Pembroke Pines. Also group participants brought technology with them. When patients bring laptops or tablets to a place where they're supposed to make friends, participate in therapy and socialize it defeats the purpose of attending. Today my husband tried to introduce himself to one of the guys. Unfortunately it did not go well. In order to avoid disappointment and hurt feelings, my husband chose to resign. He enjoyed the art classes and also the group for schizophrenics. My husband's favorite thing from his experience at this agency is his wellness box. Our recommendation is that the center focus on creative arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture and socialization skills for the patients.

From the owner: 9Muses is a mental health drop-in center which offers a fine arts curriculum with a full array of…read morevisual and performing art classes along with personalized instruction. Peer support is a main component of the center with support groups that include bipolar, depression and anxiety. Staff is always here to help. Services are free to adults with a mental health diagnosis but everyone is welcome.

This organization has been a game changer for me. As a social worker, I come across so many…read moreunder-served people who have lost their homes, their lives and their dignity. With each division of my work, from the homeless to the hospitalized, I have been able to call on Thomas and TSOMB to assist with clothing, toiletries and even household appliances that ease the burden so many face during times of adversity. He has been professional, kind and caring. I could not recommend a better place to donate your gently used clothing and household items or a better person to call on for help.

From the owner: "The Shirt Off My Back" was founded by Thomas Volturo. Thomas began collecting clothing and…read morepersonal items from friends and distributing the items right out of the trunk of his car directly to the homeless in our South Florida community. More and more people began to offer communications. The movement has grown and more and more individuals, families and non-profit organizations are benefiting from the generosity of your donations. Our goal is simple: we put clothing, toiletries and other items directly into the hands of people in need. When asked "why do you do this?" Thomas always responds with the same answer... "because I can." Please join us in our mission to "pay it forward" and help less fortunate folks in our neighborhoods.