I affirm the contents of that one other review for this. Speaking of which, organizations that do…read morereally well in doing so much good for the community should receive more of the recognition and support they deserve! :) The nonprofit is the base that hosts volunteer activities initiated by different groups all over the city. It is the hub from which various other nonprofits voice and turn the wheels of their projects. Even a recent Yelp Beach Cleanup event, associated with Heal the Bay, required volunteers to sign up first with LA Works. For MLK's Day, LA Works planned a morning at Rosemont Elementary where hundreds of people, most of them a part of their employer company (ex. Target, Home Depot, JP Morgan, Accenture), showed up to help revitalize the campus. A radio station came prepared with dancing and music to jumpstart the day. Volunteers were assigned letters and numbers, then told to report to their assigned tasks. It was all very organized and efficient. They cleaned the computer labs, classrooms, storage room and rec room. Adults and kids alike transformed drab brown walls into a playground of rainbows and sunshine. Snacks, juice and water were available throughout the event. Following, food trucks showed up, some of which were either prepaid by the organization or declined to charge. You can become a volunteer by signing up for an account - and then going through their available search options for projects you would be interested in. I like looking through their calendar for a big picture of their activities. Some projects, like anything that has to do with animals, are hot and fill up faster than others. Clicking on the individual project listing will provide a detailed description and, more importantly, the geographical location/zip code. Trust me, the easier it is to get there, the more available and willing you are to enjoy the event, maybe even on a weekly basis.

I've volunteered twice so far through LA Works: helping paint preschool walls at the Westside…read moreChildren's Center, and Toddler Time at LA Family Housing. It was easy to sign up for both events; the respective coordinators got back to me quickly, and I had a wonderful time. You really do feel like a part of the community when you help out your fellow residents. Many people say they wish they could set aside time to volunteer, and I'd just like to tell them that it doesn't take any effort just to ask how you can help, and the rewards are neverending. I look forward to helping out with future events. Thank you again!

I've been a coach for girls on the run for five seasons and absolutely love this program. I can't…read morethink of a better way to get involved and empower girls than this.

Girls on the Run of LA- Making a Difference I was lucky…read moreenough to have had the opportunity to coach and work for Girls on the Run of Los Angeles County. This transformational learning program provides girls (8 to 13 years old) with the tools necessary to handle everyday pressures with confidence and purpose. Most importantly, after completing the program and the celebratory 5k running event, girls have gained a lifetime appreciation of themselves, their own unique gifts, talents, and strengths, as well as the feeling that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. The dynamic coaches, staff, and dedicated board members have created a standard of excellence and have made it their mission to provide the most meaningful experience for all of the participants. I knew from the start that I was a part of a very special organization. I wish Girls on the Run existed when I was growing up.

This place is amazing. The people that run it are amazing. They save lives of young people children…read moreand adults of all types going through human trafficking and are always there to help. They've helped me with so much. Miss Ventura is an angel as well as the founder and everybody else running Children Of The Night because of them I have my GED, which I am also on the picture from the very first Children Of The Night ‍‍ graduation ceremony

Dr Lee is the best with her resources She the best thing…read morethat happened to me But her staff Mayra and Victoria are soo rude and disrespectful it just makes it hard to ask for help when dealing with people that don't care 5 stars because it's not Dr Lee fault

What can I say other thank thank you, y'all helped me in so many ways back in my days from writing…read morea resume n helping change my bad habits. Happy n glad y'all are still going strong n helping the homeless youth n I hope they appreciate all you guys do for them in the long run

Here's a dirty secret about Hollywood: it ain't really all that glamorous…read more I mean, sure--there are the premieres and the clubs. Some overpriced restaurants. But behind all of the glitzy glam, there's a lot more to see. A part of that is youth homelessness. There are 10,000 homeless youth living in Los Angeles. My Friend's Place helps about 1,800 of them per year; gives them food, a safe place to be during the day, educational opportunities, and case management. They're truly grassroots--100% privately funded, run by a dedicated group of folks, many of whom have been there for many, many years. It's one of those hidden-gem organizations that more folks should know about. They do incredible work with limited resources. Check 'em out and get involved!

Kidsave has been awful to us and has been a complete nightmare. Since my husband made the decision…read moreto leave the program in June and left a negative review retelling our terrible experience, Kidsave has not stopped harassing us. The director of Kidsave, Lauren Reicher-Gordon, posed as a county social worker to us on multiple occasions and was constantly rude to us. Every time we talked to her, she would talk over us or put us down and we put up with it because we thought that she was a county worker and that we'd be in trouble with the county if we stood up for ourselves. While misrepresenting herself as a county worker, Lauren gave us wrong information, threatened us with 'severe consequences' if we attended county Resource Family (foster/adopt) training and told my husband and I that we were "stealing someone else's spot" in training, as if we didn't have a right to be there. As she was telling us all this, I put the phone on speaker and allowed multiple witnesses (clients of ours) to overhear the entire conversation, so she couldn't deny it later. She then passively tried to extort money from us by claiming that we purchased $500 gala tickets (and I kept the emails 'thanking' us for our 'purchase', in case proof is needed). My husband (who is African American) and I attended two events with Kidsave, after which Lauren Reicher-Gordon made a note to rudely and repeatedly put down my husband's appearance (he was wearing gray jeans, casual button down blue shirt and a casual sport coat), telling him that he should wear a t-shirt and jeans instead. It was so disrespectful that we were floored. Funny how I (Caucasian) was dressed nicely, but she had nothing to say about MY clothing. My husband looked great and we can wear whatever the hell we want, thank you very much. Since my husband left his review, they've repeatedly harassed us via email until we blocked their email domain. Then they sent physical letters to our home threatening us and even had their lawyers threaten us with a lawsuit if he didn't take his review down. Since that time, they've had their own employees leave Kidsave fake positive reviews for months and repeatedly attack my husband's character in these reviews. At the same time, our business began receiving fake negative reviews, all from the same person, over that same span of time. My husband is one of the hardest working people I've ever known. When he's not working, all he does is help people. He coaches people with anxiety and depression online, he volunteers to mentor and teach kids and he's always there when people need him. He's never asked for praise or even thanks (in contrast to the weird praise that they give Lauren in the fake Kidsave reviews - jeez, narcissist much?) and he would be an amazing father. Things were quiet for a while until my husband and I put through an inquiry to adopt two children. Suddenly, one of Kidsave's volunteer employees, Christopher Means, leaves a fake positive review for Kidsave and starts badmouthing my husband in the first sentence. In fact, he put down my husband's clothes again! Why is Kidsave obsessed with my husband's clothes? Should I be jealous? Contain yourselves, people....Another volunteer named Destiny also left a review that was nearly identical to Christopher's, but without badmouthing my husband. At the same time, an employee of DCFS who works in the adoptions division then left Kidsave a five-star review at the same time. Completely unethical and a conflict of interest, but we are genuinely concerned that they may be attempting to disrupt placement of any kids in our home out of vengeance towards us. If the director decides that she likes you, you may have a great experience with Kidsave. Heck, don't take our word for it, read one of the glowing fake reviews written by their own employees. But ask yourself what kind of human being pretends to be a county social worker in order to feel important, blatantly condescends and discriminates against one of the nicest people on Earth and then spends months harassing that person to remove their review? Oh yeah, it's called a 'narcissist'. If you love Kidsave, great. If you want to worship the director and feed her narcissism, WE DON'T CARE. LEAVE OUR NAMES OUT OF YOUR CORNY SOUNDING REVIEWS and let us get on with our lives, you obsessive weirdos.

Kidsave is an amazing agency. I have volunteered with them through their Weekend Host Program and…read morethe experienced gained is worth a lot. They match you with older kids in the system that are looking for hosts. The goal as a volunteer is to promote adoption and to promote/expose your kid to families and individuals who might be interested in adopting. The agency gives you the necessary training and tools for that. They also have events where both you and the child get to do different activities. i.e. The Grammy Museum, beach activities, sports, etc. Your commitment is only twice a month. It doesn't really have to be the whole weekend, but it could be one day two times a month or simply as having dinner/lunch with your kid twice a month. Also, if you have been thinking about adopting a child and you are not sure if you are ready for it, this would be the perfect venue to get your "feet wet". You get to host a child and develop a relationship with him/her. You get to see first hand how the "system" works and with time you might be able to predict the needs of the child and see if you are ready to commit to adoption. If it doesn't work out, at least you made an impact on a child's life.

Returning volunteer here from located in Encino days. It's great place to volunteer except power…read moretripping middle age women. I wanted to grab a cup of coffee before starting to volunteer. However, this middle age woman stopped me that it's not good time right now. Making or grabbing a cup of coffee is not good time!!!! Not sure who put her in charge of break room. Huge turn off, I am not in her house or personal space!!!! I will be returning to volunteer , but will avoid her.

When I saw Operation Gratitude's post on Facebook that they needed volunteer for sorting & packing…read moresupplies for Hurricane Harvey's victims... I AM ALL IN!!! This non-profit is so close to my heart. They have shipped thousands & thousands of care packages to our war soldiers for many years. But whenever our community needs help... they are always there for them!! Thanks to all the donors and volunteers for donating items and their valuable times to help out. It is all about "team work"!! Operation Gratitude brings our communities together, doing meaningful things for other people.

I felt truly honored to volunteer with Baby2Baby. This nonprofit does incredible work supporting…read morefamilies--not only providing essentials for babies, but also helping parents in meaningful ways. Seeing the impact they've had on so many families was inspiring. If you're ever looking for a volunteer opportunity, I highly recommend reaching out to them. It's a great option for group volunteering, can count as a tax write-off, and most importantly, it's perfect for anyone with a big heart who wants to give back. An amazing organization doing truly important work.

I volunteered at Baby2Baby to help those in need from the LA Fires in January 2025. It was a great…read moreexperience and I highly recommend others to give back with this organization. I arrived early as I drove to LA straight after dropping off the kiddos at their pre-school in Long Beach. Upon arrival, security directed me to the rooftop parking lot (he even ushered me to the restroom as I needed to go lol). Checking in was a breeze. You sign in either by their tablet or on your phone via QR code. The staff were all friendly, informative and very organized. For this particular volunteer session, our group packaged warm sweaters and jackets for women and children. We took inventory, wrote a little note, and then attached a little squishmallow for flare. Time went by super quick! Looking forward to going back to help out again!

Came here in the late 90, s. And I am glad I left. Was never homeless never strung out on drugs or…read morefresh out of prison just a kid looking for encouragement and to be ministered to but was treated like homeless strung out felon . Program was weird, take everything from you and trust you with contemp every second. The guy that ran the place was a bully treated people like crap. Had stuff stolen from me from the drug addicts they had there . I was told it was a good program from a pastor that was the old pastor of the church I went to back then. It was more of a halfway house than anything . My experience was less than inspirational. Hope it's changed but the reviews I've read looks like it's the same.

Last Saturday the ministry I work for came in and volunteered at their "clothing store" to help…read morethose affected by the Los Angeles fires, and it was amazing! I had never heard of this place before but it's truly an amazing place! The name is very fitting for the amazing work that is done here. Their store was filled with brand new items (many popular brands) fitting every style and size. They also include necessities such as backpacks, shoes, toilet paper, etc and the rule is YOU CAN TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU NEED! Usually there's a limit but not here, they provide you with trash bags and you can take as much as needed. They also have an area for groceries, toys, hot food, and so much more! It was truly amazing working here and seeing so many families being helped. There were so many volunteers and so much resources being passed out, I've never see anything like it. I recommend this place for anyone who is having a tough time, facing homelessness, job loss, etc to seek this place out. They also help with finding housing and schooling. Such a valuable place to the city of Los Angeles!