Years ago this group was in Oakland Park, and it was amazing. I visited the group now in 2026 in…read moretheir Lauderdale by the Sea location, and I could not have been more disappointed. The environment was super cliquey and unwelcoming. No one but a couple of staff even spoke with me, and some "clique" members were outright rude. The most upsetting part of the visit, other than the dismissiveness by the "members" to me as a newcomer, was my interaction with the resident teacher after the class. A few people were standing around chatting, and after thanking the teacher for the class, I pointed out that I was new and a bit surprised to see the center used plastic cutlery and plastic water bottles. The words were barely out of my mouth when she cut me off. She became visibly annoyed and defensive. Ironically, her teaching that day had been on the perils of self-cherishing, and on compassion for others. Well, her reaction to my comment was highly incompassionate and very self cherishing! Talk about non-consistent! [As an aside, my understanding was that Buddhists care for and do no harm to all living beings - hence my surprise about the non eco-friendly kitchen stuff]. Anyway - the fact that attendance at the old center was 50+ people on the main nights, and that it is down to maybe 10 people at this site, probably tells you everything you need to know. After this experience, I did a Google search on this center, and discovered many others had had similar experiences. For example this: "Many former participants across different NKT centers report that the social dynamic becomes heavily insular. The core group of volunteers and dedicated practitioners frequently forms a tight, unapproachable "clique" centered strictly around serving the resident teacher and maintaining the building. Newcomers or returning casual practitioners often report feeling ignored or viewed solely as potential recruits for the harder study programs, destroying the organic, warm community feel that older centers like Oakland Park used to have." - Reddit. Amazing. Almost identical to my experience. What a shame. I'm staying away.

This Meditation Center is an oasis of peace in Ft Lauderdale. The open to all meditation classes…read moreare wonderful - with step by step instructions on how to calm our busy minds and increase our mental peace. the Sunday morning classes are lovely and after the meditation the center provides a light vegetarian lunch During which people can hang out, chat and even ask question of the teacher, Gen Jindak, a warm and friendly Buddhist nun!

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.

Staff Pamela was amazing at the intake desk, and a baby bird/ mourning dove was saved.read more

We found a baby squirrel outside of a coffee shop pacing back and forth, it was a medium traffic…read morearea so I was worried the poor guy would get killed. We tried to give him some water and even tried to put him into a tree nearby, but he was clinging onto us. We ended up bringing him to this wildlife center on a Sunday morning, I was so happy that they were open and able to help. They took the little guy right away, apparently they get a lot of baby squirrels brought in.

What a wonderful place with truly dedicated people. The…read morepersonnel consists of both part-time employees and volunteers who truly care for the well- being of the animals. They value each and every one as if it were their own. In this is a no kill center! They keep the animal until s/he is either fostered or adopted out. The animals in their care were actually abandoned by their owner - just left somewhere like a bag of trash.

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.

Once upon a time thrift stores were a great way to secure a find and with your place particularly…read moresupport the community, however your store has become undesirable as your staff (whom i assume are volunteers) are a bit uninterested and bitchy. They don't even attempt to hide it from the customers. In addition to that who ever does the pricing seems to think that they are marketing to Bergdorfs or Neimun Marcus (aka needless mar ups). As a customer who shops there as well as donates regularly, i find it offensive that you think people want to buy used shoes or clothes at prices higher than Marshalls or the like. After all whether slightly worn or used they still have had someones pissibly nasty ass or feet in them. If affordable enough wirth the buy as all things can be cleaned. Lets not get confused, if i am going to have to clean etc its cheaper and easier to go to any if the stires mentioned above pay less and not have to deal with the absurd rational behind pricing and bitchy attitudes. 1. If volynteers dont want to be there for exactly what it is, community service, they should stay home. No one wants ir needs them. 2. If yoyr going to continue with your gouging wirh reference to pricing, I'm glad to make my donations and shop at out of closet or anyone if the multiple other thrift stores. Remember you get the shit for free and donations are made out if the goidness if peoples hearts in attempt to give back and help those in need. Your organaztion is not doing the goid people of the community any favors with your policies. Are you trying to become a specialty shop? When average people can not or will not shop there for reasons stated above you've lost sight of what your philosophy once was. GET IT TOGETHER, get real. SHAME ON YOU.

Yelp already has entries for The Poverello Center and the Poverello Food Pantry both located at…read more2506 N. Dixie, but as I noted none for the Poverello Live Well Center I thought some entry should be made. Located at 220 NE 12th Avenue, the Poverello Live Well Center is a part of the not-for-profit Poverello umbrella, but just as its location is different, so is its charitable focus. Poverello was originally founded in 1988 when large numbers having complications of AIDS were socially shunned, rejected and dying. The original intent was to provide food as a nourishing medicine. The pantry on Dixie continues to provide such for to over 3,000 families a year and the thrift shop also located there continues to take in donations of used articles for resale in order to support Poverello operations. The Poverello Live Well Center on 12th Avenue is somewhat different in that its design is as a support center for persons living with HIV, providing a safe accepting to receive support and health services. It is here that those with HIV can, in their words, "...access our full service gym, chiropractic services, acupuncture or massage free of charge." As such it provides a vital community service. One day, as a volunteer driver/transporter, I had the occasion to visit the Live Well Center. When I stepped in I was given one of the warmest of greetings and though I wasn't supposed to actually be allowed, as not being a member, to tour their facilities I did sneak my way around. (Shhh! Don't tell.) But what I saw was a complete with all the trimmings gym with some people giving workout assistance and help to others, a pool table play area and a most comfortable relaxing lounge. But what is really so very special about the Living Well Center are the super nice people from all sorts of differing backgrounds not only there to improve themselves but working together to improve the lives of others. For what they do and for the free of charge services they provide to some of our most needy, Poverello's Live Well Center gets my 5 Stars.

I had the opportunity to take a nature tour at Snyder Park with a Heal the Planet Park Specialist,…read moreNada Vergili. She was great !!! She was so knowledgeable about the plants, uses, benefits and botanical name and background..I learned so much... She was so enthusiastic and positive about everything she shared with us..it was a great learning experience. I learned about Heal the Planet and the things they do to make our Earth a better place...from conservation to recycling to clean up, etc. Their mission is to make our Planet a better place to live, which includes... - To safeguard our planet, for our children and future generations. - Believing that the health of the planet is each individual's personal responsibility. - Believing in being informed and making self-honoring choices, for the greater good. - Believing in using our resources to raise the level of consciousness for all humanity. A great non profit. I dropped a contribution in their donation box, I really believe in what they do....

Heal the Planet is a non profit founded by Kenneth Fisher. At 17 he purchased his first ice cream…read morebusiness and by 19 he owned four residential properties. His businesses expanded to include retail and telecommunications. Fisher always wanted to give back and he sat on the board of directors of several non profits and supported the fundraising arms of other charities. After enrolling in a Master's Program in Spiritual Psychology program he came up with the idea for Heal the Planet, a charity focused on "improving life on the​ ​planet through educating, inspiring, and empowering the next generation of children." They are "committed to improving the quality of life for our planet and all its inhabitants through education, action, and utilizing our power of choice. We provide free education and resources aimed at increasing awareness about nutrition, mindfulness, and consciousness in alignment with a better quality of life and a more sustainable planet." I recently became aware of Heal the Planet when I visited their charming gift store on Federal Highway. It is a curated artisan gift shop that sells sustainable and eco friendly items. I was so impressed with the shop that I wanted to learn more about them. Their programs include The Seed Program, six one hour sessions that connects children to the world and their place in it, Young Seeds in the Park, a three hour course for children 4-17, Heal the Planet Sports, Earth Day events, Beach Clean Up, Young Planet leaders, Contest, Food Forest Gardens, and the Spread Love Mural Challenge. They also hold nature based learning for kids, the Young Seeds Program and adult workshops and nature tours at Snyder Park The more I learn about Heal the Planet the more impressed I am. I love their environmental message and their focus on educating children although there are events for adults as well. It is amazing how much they offer the community. For more details, times, and dates, check out their website.

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.