In my first event the Asia Society NorCal ED requested that I contact a MD at my firm regarding…read morevenue sponsorship. I gladly did so, but the MD didn't respond. When I greeted her at the next event, she rudely gave me the cold shoulder and ignored me. This is really unprofessional.

The Asia Society Northern California hosts a variety of events about the Pacific region. They range…read morefrom political discussions to lectures by visiting dignitaries to author appearances and film screenings. This might sound very cerebral but fear not--my favorite events involve the stomach. Last week I went to a tasting of Taiwanese oolong teas. After drinking four cups of potent mountain brew, not to mention eating a plate of oh-so-tasty Charles Chocolates, my hands were shaking like an alcoholic's. Pretty good for $10. Past culinary highlights include a gustatory tour of Southeast Asia and an Indian street snack workshop. Membership is $55. This entitles you to $5-$10 discounts on events, so it pays for itself after a half dozen times. Most activities are held in the 500 Washington building. The popular events are put on in larger venues around the Bay, such as the Asian Art Museum. Attendance is fairly racially mixed but skews a little to the middle aged. To broaden its appeal, Asia Society is cooking up a young professional group. This is music to the ears of at least one person: an attendee at last week's tea tasting. He introduced himself to almost every woman under 40, calling himself a recent transplant from Minnesota eager to make friends. Perhaps I'll see him at the next event--this time with a new "friend" on his arm.

I became aware of the Level Playing Field a several months ago and the varied stores of the IDEAL…read morescholars are humbling. The consistent thread among their stories is the commitment and hard work of each student to excel despite the lack of resources available to them, resources that most of us take for granted. I became a mentor for an IDEAL scholar at UC Berkeley. She is smart, funny, artistic and inspiring - she is excited about life and a joy to know . She cares intensely about her community and helping others. I gain energy from talking with her each time we get together. I am impressed by the number of scholars from this program that after graduating from college, continue to graduate or professional school as well as provide help and support to newer scholars. I think this speaks well of the program and the quality and commitment of the scholars selected to participate. I understand that 100% of the administrative costs of LPFI are covered by donations from an "angel", so that 100% of my donations directly support scholars with books, laptops, scholarships, and all the various things that are needed to make it through college today. I can see how we will all benefit from the work that the IDEAL scholars will provide to our society - we will miss a great deal in the future if these students do not have a chance to fulfill their potential. I can only hope that this program will be expanded so that many more young people can benefit from the education and support supplied by the Level Playing Field. What a fine world that would be!

LPFI, their staff, and their programs make our community and society a better place…read more I got connected to LPFI when my mentee (from a 1-1 mentorship program) was selected for the SMASH summer program (before going on to Sonoma State). I can tell you that SMASH was second only to parents in being a positive and powerful force in my mentee's life. He wrote multi college essays on his experiences at SMASH and references his learning there in guiding his choice to become a high school math teacher when he graduates. The LPFI organization is full of people that DO with authenticity, capability, and deliver results. Take every opportunity you can to fund them, work with them, and learn with them.

This is a fantastic resource for learning innovative new ways to work in your community on behalf…read moreof the environment. The staff here is constantly figuring out creative solutions to how to make the world a better place. They focus mostly on education- one of their foremost/recent programs is Rethinking School Lunch, an exciting way of bettering the catastrophe that is our modern public school lunch program- but they are beginning to hold workshops and are always great to receive a newsletter from.

SFEMS is a wonderful organization which was founded in 1976, almost fifty years ago. Since then,…read morethey've implemented a pay-what-you-can model, making early music education and entertainment accessible to all members of the community. We had the pleasure of attending the Musicians from Valley of the Moon Music Festival at the First Congregational Church in Berkeley this past weekend. We enjoyed the spirited performance by talented artists (including co-founders and directors of Valley of the Moon) on the fortepiano and gut strings of the violin and cello, allowing listeners to experience the music of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethovan in a captivating way. The sound was amazing in the church, every piece of music played that day mesmerizing. Beethoven's Seven Variations on "Bei Männern, welche Liebe Fühlen" based on Mozart's The Magic Flute, WoO (1801) was notably engaging and a great way to start the second half of the program. I appreciated my time here. SFEMS puts on some really great workshops and events for fans of early music. I especially look forward to the Berkeley Festival & Exhibition in June.

LASF's mission: "To support and enrich the education of every child in the Lafayette public schools…read morethrough a broad community-based effort." A phenomenal fundraising and learning foundation to supplement the Lafayette Unified School District arts & sciences. WIth many schools having to shut down around the bay area, many regions are becoming forced to supplement their own school districts. Kudos to the folks that care enough to dedicate personal time to the cause. If you're a small business or company with items or services to donate, the group is gathering items for their various auctions and its investment into the next generation!

Amazing people and program. The founder and owner, Heather, is so kind and neurodiverse affirming…read moreperson. She is so patient, and all her volunteers are complete gems and totally patient too. I'm so glad we found this program and appreciate all Heather and the volunteers do to change kids lives, and foster a truly inclusive experience.

Amazing people. The owner is really nice. Amazing program. They change a lot of kids. With special…read moreneeds. I see changes every day

This review is for the Chinese cultural center Store located on 667 Grant Avenue. This is a well…read morecurated shop in the middle of China town. Some highlights: - compact, pre-assembled to go mini kits - things like travel set, first-aid sets, hangover kits, and small everyday essentials. - mood-themed chocolate bars - stationery - small design items. Perfect store for unique gift assembly.

Came here to explore and learn but never again. We got so lost looking for an exit as most of the…read moredoors say "not an exit." Wound up walking into an employees only area for Hilton because the door had an exit sign on it. Finally just tried the door that read "not an exit" and exited the center!

I've been an Experience Corps volunteer since March, teaching elementary school students in San…read moreRafael and am so thrilled with this experience and with this fabulous organization! Not only did they find me the perfect place to work and encourage me to bring my skills as a journalist into the classroom, they also are committed to building community among their volunteer staff. I'm volunteering this summer to make sure one of my students has her multiplication tables down pat by 5th grade and I'll be back this fall to work with her and other students from last year. What an absolutely fabulous and fulfiling experience!