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!

NLEC is a 45 year old church organization that has been serving the Midwest faithfully for Christ's…read moresake. Many many people have recieved so much help and continue to.

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.

Amazing organization giving to the children in the City of St. Louis. This group provides free…read moreuniforms and books to school age children in the At-Risk areas of the city. They have an entire uniform store where the kids get to try on clothes with a personal shopper. All of the items are wrapped up, labeled, and sent back to school with the staff. They even add a book into the bag for each child. Volunteers run the Free Uniform Store. They had to be the nicest group of volunteers I have ever meet. The whole operation runs like a well-oiled machine. The building is well organized, clean, and inviting. They have other outreach programs as well, such as Operation Hug and Hospital Activity Kits. According to their website they are 100% St. Louis Based and 100% Volunteer Run. I plan on donating to this group...they are truly touching lives right here in St. Louis.

Assistance League of St. Louis recently opened 17 fully equipped closets in Saint Louis Public…read moreSchools to provide basic clothing needs even more quickly to deserving children. This delivery model will serve more than 4,800 elementary school students and is a new approach for this organization, which annually touches the lives or more than 44,000 St. Louisans and has provided help to deserving children and adults for more than 30 years.

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.

We offered to donate 2 swivel rockers to the organization. They wanted a photo of the chairs, which…read morewas sent, they responded with, "we are going to pass". The chairs are older, they are pink, I get that, BUT they are in excellent working condition, no rips/tears/stains, were well cared for in a pet free, non-smoking home. How as a charity can you determine someone in need would not want 2 perfectly good, comfortable chairs. We have happily donated them elsewhere to a grateful charity.

Such an amazing company giving back to the less fortunate. My friend and her big family had so…read morelittle since the flooding in their house and they helped so much. From furniture to small kitchen items to toys for kids.

They've been around for at least 100 years serving the nearby communities in St. Louis, providing…read moreall sorts of community resources such as preschool education daycare, classes in economic literacy for adults, after-school college mentoring for older students, exercise classes for women, access to affordable groceries, clothing, etc. I arrived at Kingdom House as a volunteer during an alternative break trip. Kingdom House offers several opportunities for people to come volunteer, and I was able to help clean up the yards by raking, organize the inventory goods that were donated for the food pantry and bodega, and also chaperone some of the younger students during class and after school. The program I participated in was for service learning, essentially learning about social inequality that exists and persists in nearby communities, all while volunteering. I was not shocked, but still disappointed at the markers of segregation between neighborhoods, explicitly racial and socioeconomic in the divide (hello gentrification). What they do here is phenomenal and I wish to help more. Of course, I take this knowledge from this experience and will carry it back to whatever communities I end up in or already belong to, including in Los Angeles and in Vermont. The volunteers and educators that work here are all fabulous and deserve props for working towards improving the lives of others, through the power of education.

The Kingdom House is a wonderful organization and facility that aims to help the the community by…read moreproviding a wide variety of services for people of all ages. There is a day care center, early education (Pre-K) programs, after school programs for children and teens, summer camp for children, financial literacy courses for adults, wellness programs, legal expertise, and more! Whatever resources the people of a neighborhood could need or want, Kingdom House is sure to have those resources available! There's a food pantry here as well as a bodega to help alleviate financial stress for people of the community. The Kingdom House is also a great place for people looking for volunteer opportunities. I volunteered here with a few co-workers yesterday, and I was blown away by all of the ways that this organization helps people in our community! It's a great organization and I hope to help them again in the future!

Great place to restart your life of sobriety. AA meetings all time of day and good food.read more

Providing a safe place for Recovery since 1950. Thanks for sharing and caring.read more