Although it's fun to go shopping for loved ones around the holidays (and to be on the receiving end…read moreof someone else's shopping efforts), please keep in mind that there are food pantries and shelters all over St. Louis that would be happy to accept donations this time of year. While packing up for my big move out west, I started a collection of toiletries that were unopened and/or seemed like something the average woman would find necessary. In that bag included nail files, shampoo, body wash, a mini hair dryer and even a Turbie Twist! I found Woman's Place online and called up there to make sure they were accepting donations - they were and were very grateful for the supplies. The woman who met me at the door even commented on the Turbie Twist and exclaimed "One of our ladies is going to LOVE getting this as a Christmas gift". That made me feel really good - totally worth the drive to Maplewood! Again, it's fun to shop for people you know during Christmas. But there's people in our own community who would be grateful for any sort of donation you could provide this winter and beyond, whether it be food, clothing or hair accessories. Do your part this holiday season!

I was looking for a place to volunteer and Cheryl, the woman who answered the phone, could not have…read morebeen more rude! She basically told me 'no' and to call another organization. She provided their number but as it turns out she gave me the wrong number and completely false information about the organization! If you're looking for a place to volunteer your time, don't even consider Woman's Place!

What a lovely non-profit organization located in the middle of a community that does so much…read moreoutreach. I came here on a Wednesday evening for a free cooking class with Jason Goldman. He was informative, personable, and friendly during the duration of the class. Jason is a gem and is passionate about what he does. We ended up cooking Thai coconut chickpea over jasmine rice. . All the ingredients were fresh and some of the herbs he hand picked from the garden right out front of the building. I enjoyed him taking his time with each step but also mentioning substitutions if you were to fond of a particular ingredient. The entire kitchen is set up like most residential kitchens in homes to mimic like you are cooking a meal at home. This is all from the stove tops down to the appliances. They have done free classes like this for the entire summer. Can you imagine we made a tasty meal with a budget of under $10? Bonkers, right? Can't wait to come volunteer with the organization. Until next time...

It feels good to Volunteer your time to help feed people in need…read more Volunteering at the St Louis Area Foodbank in the Repackaging area for a few hours!!! This place is a well oiled machine!!! Clean space, huge warehouse and friendly staff!! They also played awesome music to keep us going!!! We packaged alot of Potatoes and Fig Bars in 2 hours!!! Get work group and go Volunteer!!!

What a fabulous organization. I volunteered today with a group from my office and this was the…read moresecond time I have donated my time here. The lead volunteer had everything organized for us so everything ran really smoothly. Today I packaged 22 to 24 apples in bags as a team we packaged over 6000 pounds of food for our neighbors in need. If you're looking for a great volunteer opportunity that will impact your community, I highly recommend donating your time to this organization.

HavenHouse was truly our safe haven when visiting St Louis for a medical appointment. From the…read morestart, they were the best. Easy to make the reservation. Answered all questions when I called (and called back and back and back again!). They even called a couple of days before to confirm the reservation. Not only did they provide an affordable room, they treated one adult per room and children under 12 to the buffet breakfast and also gave us, free of charge, one meal (which we had as lunch) and snacks and drinks. To top it off, they allowed us to borrow a microwave and use their freezer! It truly was a saving grace and we wish they were in all states we visit for medical appointments as they made us feel cared for, like we had friends we could ask for help. Cannot thank them or recommend them enough.

Haven House is one of those places doing IMPORTANT work. It is one of my favorite local places to…read moredeliver boxes of goods. The Haven House has a donation wish list on their website. They also have volunteer opportunities for individuals or groups. Need a local charity to support...look no further than the Haven House. The Haven House is a hospital hospitality house. The mission to provide the comfort of home to patients and their families visiting St. Louis for medical treatments. Lodging, transportaion to area Hospitals, support, and meals are some of the amenities the Haven House provides guests. Visit their Facebook Page or Website for more details.

I've taken a couple classes here and shopped for glass here, too. The materials are hit or miss, as…read morecan be expected since this is basically a thrift store for artistic raw materials, priced at $1 a pound! I even donated a couple bagfuls of vintage fabric (too cool for Goodwill, but perfect for here). The classes were very well organized and designed for the students to be successful. This is such a great creative resource I only wish they were open more and If they were a tool library, also!

Great place. Fast service. Lots of space. A lot of activities. You can get 5oz pours for $3…read more Winning!

Leftovers, Etc. has so many items that I can reuse for crafting. I also found large jars and vases…read morefor propagating flowers and house plants. This is a fun place, the workers are super nice. I am currently making a collage and the tables with little items in cups are so interesting. Be sure to check the hours and days they are open. They accept donations of recyclable items but only when there is someone there to accept them.

What an awesome find for me! Scraps and such is what they have. Things you throw away and then find…read moreall over again! I'll definitely be back.. but the place is in a warehouse behind Medici. My new find!

I have been going to this pantry for six months and it's been wonderful.Today i was treated with…read morethe nastiest attiude by the lady who wears a hat with a braid and blue eyes.Told me i was not going to get served today no exceptions!Same lady last month who was rude to me and jumped in the conversation she was not in with a lady who was taking care of me.I had two encounters with the same disrespectful woman. If you don't enjoy what you do, then don't do it. You have no right to treat someone like their trash. I will never come back to this pantry.I pitty people like this.God bless you my sister.I hope you get the help you need because clearly.You like taking your anger out on people and enjoying it.Shame on you!!

If you have pet food or supplies to donate this is the place. (The Humane Society will take your…read moredonation but cannot use opened bags and will often donate your donations to other organizations who can use them. So, more unneccesary work for them...) My daughter recently donated lots of fairly high priced specialty cat food. Her elderly cat had liver disease. I went to the nearest donation spot as per their website. I requested a donation receipt but were told that they didn't have any. I sent an email about getting a donation receipt. and their response, from a Board Member: "We are a 501C, a non profit organization. We take donations in the donation barrels set up throughout the area. We do not give receipts, especially since most donations are anonymous." So, duh, most donations would be anonymous since there is nothing in place to identify a donor... seems like a lazy thing that could easily be rectified. But, nonetheless, donate your pet stuff here if you can.

Came here for the first time for a good friend that was struggling to feed her two sons alone. I…read morecame literally right before they closed n got so much stuff. They were so nice I would definitely keep coming here. So welcoming n understanding. Got cold n dry food n pet food n paper products!!

Hope offers weekly food distribution on Wednesdays to anyone needing assistance. It's open to…read moreindividuals and families for one-time or recurring need and accepts new participants. Food assistance for one week's need is provided according to family size. Hope has an efficient and well organized program with a quick, pain-free check-in process. At check-in you'll receive a pick-up number for your car window. Drive to the pick-up location and volunteers will bring your food to your vehicle. There's seldom a wait. Food items vary week-to-week due to donations from local supermarkets, and occasionally restaurants, other retailers, and additional sources. Food items consist of boxed and canned goods, fresh dairy products, bakery items, and produce. Hope will try to accommodate special dietary needs such as gluten-free requests. Personal care products for infants and adults are provided according to availability. The program is funded by a group of local churches. There's no fee to those needing assistance and donations are not solicited.