We went for Dudley's birthday fundraiser/celebration and it was a blast. The animals are clearly…read morewell-loved and cared for and the volunteers were super nice and friendly.

Lovely place to volunteer. The animals are very well taken care of and happy. They have a nice…read morecalendar of events for the public to schedule a visit and staff are nice.

There are just so many good things to say about this place that I'm not sure where to start…read more First, it is not a "shelter" in the typical sense of the word, and the staff and guests do not refer to it as a "shelter". They consider themselves a "community", and act as such. There are NO lines for anything at the WLP. The women are served their meals at their tables by volunteers, and their materials are bussed for them once they are done, unless they choose to self-bus. The food. Oh heavens! WLP prides itself on serving nourishing, FRESH food. Each meal will have all nutritional requirements met, and there is always a veggie option. We're not talking canned goods or sandwiches here, folks. No, this is chopped and diced fresh veggies, prime cut meats, the finest ingredients. If you're a good cook and after you've volunteered a few times, they are happy to let you get in the kitchen and help whip up stuff. The resident chef there, Gina, is wonderfully creative in the kitchen (and very nice), and from time to time, other professional chefs from local restaurants come in to put together a meal. The WLP isn't jsut a food place, although that's the highlight of the day. It also provides the women with full time advocacy support to help with finding housing, food, or other services. There is a computer room/resource room that the ladies may use. There is also a nap room where women can go to get sometimes some much needed rest, and also a quiet room for just some peace, solitude, and maybe reading or reflecting. Women are also able to get various toiletries and clothing that they may need. They may do their laundry and take showers. The Program Manager, Heather (also very, very nice and competent) has done a great job of making sure that there are interesting activities for guests if they choose to participate: yoga, painting, field trips, knitting, etc. Since the WLP is run as a "community", the staff are INCREDIBLY patient with the women, and if a guest is being disorderly or breaking a rule, she is not immediately tossed out, but is counseled and given more than one opportunity to redeem herself by correcting her behavior. Throwing someone out is a last option at the WLP. WLP treats its volunteers as the valuable commodity we are. We are appreciated, thanked, and made to feel a part of the "team". Added Perk: They also have really incredible volunteer thank you events! I enjoy volunteering here. I learn something new and meet new people each time I go. I don't have a lot of spare time to volunteer, but when I do, the WLP gets me all the time, every time. It's important to know that this place could not be so great without us- the community at large supporting it through donations, volunteering, contributions, etc. The staff, Regina, Linda, Joanna, Lauren, Linnie, and Cheryl are terrific- go meet them! This is just a wonderful, wonderful place. You will not leave here without your heart being touched in some way.

Just to add to the great review by Adrienne -- The Women's…read moreLunch Place is an amazing community run by dedicated and caring people. I've volunteered there many times, and the experience was wonderful. The staff is as open, kind and welcoming to volunteers as they are to their ladies. The ladies? Wow. Having the opportunity to really get to know some of the women in this community is a real blessing. The WLP is one of my favorite volunteer opportunities. Try it out!

I will never go here again. That should start to explain things…read more If it makes it a little confusing, then let me go into detail. We, myself and one other person, came in early on a Wednesday morning. It was the 13th, to be specific. And we came in at approximately 8:56 am. What we didn't know however, was that it was Senior hour from 9:30 am to 10:30. That isn't what I'm complaining about though. Sure, we were a bit miffed that this wasn't on the website when we came but we didn't have any problem with it. We just sat there and waited for our turn. Then, at exactly 10:26, did the rest of the people who weren't 60+ started coming and we were at the front of the line. By now, we were just happy to be getting our turn. Then, a man, whose name I will not disclose, asked if he could move forward with the last people from the line for the 60+. They asked his age, from which he respectfully replied that he was 59. They let him in. But, now you see, this is where the plot thickens. He had someone with him. A woman who was clearly disabled in a walker who needed help to move around. They didn't let her in. This was a conundrum. Why? Let me go back. Before, there was another woman in the 60+ line who pulled along with her a young woman who was clearly in her 30s and very capable of staying behind and waiting her turn. So then, I ask you, was it fair that this 30 yr old was allowed access, while this poor, disabled woman was forced to wait outside, uncomfortable, like a common stray dog? I think not. Hence, the other person that I was with, started asking the guy who was at the front door, why they didn't let the woman in. She, the other person, was very respectful, and tried her best to be understood, because she had a bit of an accent and some words ran together occasionally. The guy looked a bit affronted. Then a woman who worked there came out and the whole thing started all over again. Then, he came out. I believe his name is Will McGovern. The pantry manager. This guy had to be 6'3 maybe, with a beer gut, blond, blue eyes, and holding a shake from McDonalds. He came out with fury in his eyes. He then started spewing, and pardon my language, bullshit about how she was disrespecting his employees, and a whole bunch of other shit. I swear, the guy was on a rampage. The people behind us were shocked. And angry. She looked shocked as well. She vehemently denied this, stating that she had only been asking. Anyone with eyes could see this. Literally anyone. The guy just kept saying "I dunno. I only know what I heard." In this namby-pamby little prissy boy voice. I was shaking by this point. Not from fear though. Oh no, not from fear. Rather, from anger. Anger that this incompetent little overgrown brat called this other person, who happens to be a close family member of mine, a liar. He then proceeded to pluck the card, the card that you use to get in, right from her hand and said that he would permanently take this away from her if she continued to disrespect his employees. I had enough of this by this point. I got right up in his face and told him off. I said, "Sir, I apologize for whatever you think you heard, but clearly, you are not listening. She told you what happened but you just wan't to live in your own little world of denial. I can vouch for this woman. She is trustworthy and she has never lied a day in her life. Never. She is painfully honest." I then started to say MY piece because he had his turn. It was my turn now. He was silent. Shocked in fact. I don't like causing trouble with people. I'm usually pretty easy going. But, this man, no wait, this Lounge Lizard, this social parasite, insulted us, disrespected us, and treated us like we were nothing. Like we were less than nothing. My grandparents didn't come here, to this country, to be treated like some bothersome parasite. We did not fight for our freedom, to be treated like crap. So that, when we need a little help, a little helot get back on our feet, to be treated like a common slave. So, if you, Lounge Lizard, social parasite Will McGovern, are reading this, I hope you feel ashamed of your actions. Will McGovern is a racist man who hates woman and Latinx people!

Excellent organization! Great people! Working for the less fortunate. Love their work and kindness.read more

I come here mainly on weekends, when my home Y closes way the heck too early (4pm vs 7pm here)…read more I'd say that about 70-80% of their equipment is fine. Lots of free weights and strength machines. The highlight is the huge, high-ceilinged (30-40ft?) functional fitness space that features a turf area, a sled, kettlebells, plyo boxes, plyo smash balls, a do-it-all calisthenics multi-station that includes weighted pulleys, dip and pullup and monkey bars, a free hanging real boxing bag (nice angled uppercut bag that's just the right weight to make you "dance" to avoid the swing back, yet forgiving enough that you can punch it without gloves without risking a broken wrist or bruised knuckles), a pair of Assault bikes and treadmills, a Concept rower, some meh Schwinn stationary bikes (more on that later), and two full squat cages with plenty of plates and barbells. So, what about the other 20-30%, you ask? Well, their cardio machines range from so-so to unusably lousy. All the treadmills are Precor, which are a clear step down from the Life Fitness TMs most Ys have: smaller uglier fuzzy screens with spotty internet connection that can freeze up in the middle of a workout, noisier and less stable platform. The stationary bikes are a mix of Precor (typical mediocre gym bike with crap ergonomics where you feel like you're on a creaky toy bike pedaling against some barbaric pad not magnetic resistance) and Espresso (video-gaming type bike clearly designed to seduce ADD teenagers or lazy af adults) and the horrible Schwinn bikes (just as bad as most home exercise bikes, you can understand why people mostly use them as clothes hangers). Please please please can you guys get at least a few KEISER bikes? We know you can have decent taste in cardio machines because you kept your CONCEPT rowers instead of choosing some oversized gym-brand rowers which look impressive but have similarly lousy ergonomics. Oh and they have non-mechanical Assault brand treadmills which nobody uses because they are brutal on the knees, too narrow and unstable. I don't know who was in charge of choosing the cardio equipment, but that person needs to be put to work cleaning the bathrooms or something more appropriate! The other major gripe I have is their sauna --- it's spacious and new and pretty, but who in the hell decided to have only ONE row of seating? Completely idiotic, folks: did you not pass seventh grade Life Science, where they teach you that heat RISES, and that's why all real saunas have TWO levels of seating, with the 2nd one being a good 4-5 feet off the ground so that you get the full benefit of the heat in the room? Here you have to STAND on the damned low benches if you want to get a decent sweat in ... the sauna thermometer reads 170F but if you're sitting down you'd be lucky to get 140-150F, which is useless. (The sauna of the Melrose YMCA has the same idiotic mistake.) So, while I'm grateful that this Y offers me decent hours to work out on weekends making the long drive out there worthwhile, their cardio machines selection and sauna design really really need a rethink.

Terrible manager terrible customer service terrible experience!!! After 5 years I canceled my…read moremembership! Don't waste ur time or Money!! Classes are crap, they have young kids coaching, u have to just keep taking the same class over and over there is no going anywhere is just basic redundant classes!! The facilities are nothing exciting and prices are going up now every year!!

Today, the Food Project brought a farmers market to my office to sell fresh, locally grown,…read morepesticide-free produce and other food items. The vegetables were grown by teenagers in an urban garden in Dorchester. The Food Project's mission is to, "grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system." This is totally worth supporting.

A noble organization that aims to drive personal and social change through the development of…read moresustainable food systems. They have two local farms where youth are taught to plant food using traditional, organic methods. Half the produce is donated to shelters and the remainder is sold at farmers' markets or in crop shares. They also host community meals with guest chefs from top-notch chefs from all over the city. And of course, offer group and individual volunteer projects, great for company outings or a free weekend. Their whole staff is simply awesome, especially the outreach coordinator, Michael Iceland. Come support these guys motivate, educate and change!