Villages of San Mateo County is a non-profit membership organization of older adults living in…read moretheir own homes and communities we love. Their mission (and they do it and great) is to support members with services, resources, and community connections so they can enjoy vibrant, healthy and fulfilling lives in their own homes and live more independently. I am a very satisfied member of this great volunteer organization and there is little they can not or do not provide, mostly volunteer, and has pretty much saved me from moving by keeping me and my home safe and has field trips and activities that are fun and stimulating, even educational and each member and volunteer has been wonderful and reassuring to me. They provide: Home safety evaluations, Minor home repairs (installing bath bars, hand rails, special electric outlets, fire and other alarms, and fire extinguisher and more in home help for safety. Rides to medical appointments, grocery shopping, hair/nail salons..., Help with simple home and yard chores. Computer, cell phone and other technology services, shuttle to airport, and so much more and so well done and all are committed, kind, helpful, and enjoy helping others to thrive, not just survive, and lead a good life and enjoy social activities and help beyond one's imagination. I have no idea how I survived before joining Villages of San Mateo County. I cannot say enough the gift of being safe and knowing they are here for me means to my well-being, health and being connected to a super group of volunteers. I hesitate to say more or speak for them, but they do and have done so much for me I run out of ways to thank them. Please contact them for more information: 650 260-4569 or info@villagesofsmc.org You will be amazed at all they do and with such a great attitude. Carol Ormandy

Senior Coastsiders is our gem for older adult services on the coast. Not only do they provide…read moremeals but offer classes for technology, games and exercise. The staff is friendly and makes everyone feel welcome. Living in a rural community with a great resource center like Senior Coastsiders gives us many options to thrive in our community! I would rate Senior Coastsiders 10 stars!!

Senior coastsiders provided many valuable services to the retirement communpity helpful peopleread more

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of our preferred charities. Lets face it, there were people…read morealready hurting before COVID hit and now that's all the more exacerbated. When it comes to food security or a lack thereof, you need a charity that literally helps put food on peoples table. They provide food for those that would otherwise have to do without. They also take fruits and vegetables (You must call ahead and set it up) along with the more typical donations. In addition you can also volunteer to help sort and setup. They have a website to help direct you. However, it is very popular and sometimes days are already filled up. As with all charities they need our help. How can you help? 1) Food donations. Every bit helps 2) Volunteer to help out 3) Cash is king. Consider a cash donation so they can pay for operations and buy essential items that they don't get donated. I mean how many cans of pumpkin filling can you make someone eat right?

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is truly one of the most impactful and well‑run organizations in…read moreour community. Every interaction I've had with them whether donating, volunteering, or simply learning more about their programs has left me inspired and grateful that such a dedicated team is working to fight hunger right here at home. What stands out most is their professionalism and compassion. The staff and volunteers treat every client with dignity, and you can feel how deeply they care about making sure families have access to healthy, nutritious food. Their operations are incredibly organized, and the scale at which they serve the community is nothing short of impressive. I also appreciate how transparent they are about where donations go and how efficiently they use their resources. It's rare to see an organization combine heart, innovation, and operational excellence so seamlessly. If you're considering supporting a local nonprofit, volunteering your time, or looking for a meaningful way to give back, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is an outstanding choice. They are making a real difference every single day.

I had to get my mom supplies since she had a bad infection and I wanted to be ready for her needs…read morewhen she came home. This is such a wonderful program available!!! I was able to get a version of Depends type underwear, a walker with a seat, shower chair, commode and bed rail. The volunteer staff were amazing, friendly and very helpful with all kinds of tips on how to use the equipment to keep her safe. Saturday when they open was already busy. at 9:30am. It just shows that many people especially senior depends on their services. Please consider making a donation to this nonprofit organization. This my second time a loved one needed their equipment and it's a valued organization to have around. Thank you MELP! Hours listed below. Distribution Pick-Up Hours: San Carlos: every Saturday 9:30 to 11:30am South San Francisco: every Saturday 9:00 to 11:00am Donation and Return Drop-Off Hours: San Carlos: every Wednesday 2 to 4pm South San Francisco: every Thursday 2 to 4pm

What an amazing organization! I learned about MELP initially when I was looking for a place to…read moredonate new/unopened medical supplies. We were recently in need of rehabilitation equipment so I knew just where to go! I can't believe the available equipment and supplies are FREE. I'm impressed by the logistical organization and all the dedicated volunteers who run MELP. It's very simple to get registered on their tablet and you get paired up with a volunteer to describe what you're looking for (so the volunteer can retrieve it from the warehouse). I described my physical therapy plans and the volunteer was able to find me exactly what we needed -- it was perfect! They kindly offered to help me load the equipment in my car. Once we're recovered, I plan to donate the equipment back. I'm grateful that this free program is available for our community. I highly recommend visiting MELP for medical supply/equipment needs before having to buy something. Or if you no longer need equipment (e.g., crutches, canes, wedge pillows, walkers, bed railing, basins, etc.) and consumable supplies, it's a wonderful organization to donate to. Many thanks to all the volunteer organizers for this amazing community support!! I'm so inspired by you.

My kids have loved their summer and winter camps here! The teachers are highly skilled and I love…read morethe variety of media and techniques taught in the classes. My kids have gotten to do watercolors, chalk pastels, india ink, printmaking, sculpture, and more. They are able to use high-quality supplies and the class sizes are good.

This review is for their summer camp. The kids eat lunch on the curb. No attempt is made to take…read morethem to a playground or a park or even an adjoining grassy area! They can perhaps talk to the church authorities close by for use of their grounds or take them to the end of scenic way (4 minute walk) and use the grassy area there! There was no ice-breaker so the kids shy to talk to each other and there was little or interaction among the kids! Classes start at 9 am. Break is from 10-11 an and lunch is from 12-1 pm and classes end at 3 pm! I will update this review if things change!

I am a member of the Saints Squad. The parent welcoming committee. I understand the importance of…read moreonline reviews, researching and looking at schools to assess whether or not it is the right fit for you and your child, so here is a more updated review. Many of the reviews that you will find online are outdated, and comments about those administrative personnel are no longer with the school. I also know that each individual family will have their own experience and perspective, but here is ours. We have one child that graduated two years ago (at Serra now) and have two more still at the school. More recently one who started kindergarten. We are the largest of the catholic elementary schools in the San Francisco Archdiocese. We like the academics and structure and I will say... it's challenging. But there's no other way to prepare these kids than to give them this structure and chance to learn boundaries and how to succeed themselves. Personally, my kids are thriving here. My two boys like that the school offers sports as early as 4th grade as a way to introduce them to baseball, basketball and track and field. They also have volleyball for the girls. Like with any school, you have to find a balance. We try not to get too looped into the politics, as all schools will have them. If you can have a small filter to block out some noise, you'll be fine. We find that we like the structure and the rigor of the academics and find that the kids are well prepared going into high school. St. Matthews feeds many kids mainly to Serra, SI, Notre Dame, or Mercy when they graduate. Then there is a mix of the public schools like Hillsdale, Aragon, Burlingame, and San Mateo. The parent community is second to none. Everyone that goes here says that it is the BEST! There are so many ways and opportunities for the parents to get involved and interact. This is what makes us different and I would agree. Many different parent committees to plan events for the school. Carnival, auction, etc. The school is closely tied with the parish. There is a school and parish committee that try to align together on events and religious education. This year, 2024, Saint Matthews Catholic School has adopted a new administrative team approach to providing leadership to the school and it has worked really well. So well that the Archdiocese is looking to this as a model for all schools based on its success so far. We don't have a set "Principal" or "Dean" in terms of title, seeing that a Leadership team that works together can leverage each other's strengths to get things accomplished in order to meet the needs of the school and students and not have to rely on one person to do a "job description" or part of it when it is not their strength. It's a team approach to success. The community here is great. The 40 volunteer hours per family is so easy to do. And that's what helps to create the community that we have. People say that Saint Matthew's Catholic school is large with over 600 students. However, my family preferred this when deciding on a school to start our oldest child. Thinking about our own experience growing up, there were two classes per grade and just didn't realize that maybe that is more the norm. My wife and I preferred that there were two classes per grade because each year they will mix up the students. We felt that this would better prepare the students socially to adapt to larger sized schools when they go on to high school. We felt it also helps them to learn how to adapt to different people and personalities, of which is a very real world life skill. So, we actually do not mind that there are two classes per grade. The lower classes also have a full time aid in the class to help with the teacher, so it is not a 1:32 ratio. One classes per grade will have our kids be stuck with the same 30 people for the entire nine years. Which can be very challenging. But for some families, that is what you are looking for, so I understand. There are many activities for the students to get involved with. Sports, Drama, Journalism, tech, Student Government, Music. They learn Spanish at an early age. And have volunteer hour opportunities. The school does integrate religion into the curriculum. There are many families and students that are not Catholic that attend this school. We are hitting the re-start button with our family as our five year old has entered kindergarten this fall. However, we do not regret going here even though with all the changes that have been going on. We were impressed with how they had handled the COVID situation and learning. They kept the students' best interest in mind in terms of continuing with their academics and making sure that they were not missing classroom instruction. The gym is by far the nicest gym for the kids! It's bright, lots of natural sunlight. The side doors roll up, so during hot evenings, can open them up and the siblings or parents can watch from the courtyard by the tree. According to my

We've been part of the St. Matthew community since our child started kindergarten last year, and we…read morecouldn't be happier. Our child continues to grow academically, socially, and spiritually in ways that have truly exceeded our expectations. What really sets this school apart is the strong sense of community. From day one, we've felt welcomed and supported--not just by the faculty and administration, but by fellow parents and the parish community as well. There's a real partnership between home and school, and parents are encouraged to take an active role in campus life. Whether it's volunteering for traffic duty, participating in fundraising events, or coaching sports, there are many opportunities to get involved--and so many parents who genuinely want to pitch in. The staff and teachers are warm, approachable, and passionate about what they do. The values-based education and emphasis on faith development have been a wonderful foundation for our child.

It has been over 1.5 years since my last review, and we love the school as much as we did when our…read morechild started school 2+ years ago! Everyone on staff has been incredibly easy and pleasant to collaborate with, and responsive to my questions. The school expanded over the summer to add 2 more classrooms, so that Burkard now has 6 classrooms: K/1, 2/3, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7/8th. Having experienced a few private schools and a public school between my 2 kids, I am confident this is the best environment for my child, for both academic differentiation and SEL support. It's often lamented that parents have to choose the least bad educational option for their 2e kids, but I truly believe this is a great option. We were fortunate enough to be with his amazing 2/3 teachers for 2 years, and have a new set of teachers we love this year, too. Speaking with parents across grades, they also think highly of their teaching teams. My son continues to thrive academically (measured by his overall engagement, as well as MAP testing), and we are very happy with the math differentiation he receives. Each year, I have been pleased with the attention and care the staff takes to make sure he's challenged at the right level. They take great care to plan engaging lessons across ELA, science, social studies and SEL, and incorporate hands on projects regularly to extend their learning. My son regularly shares interesting facts he learned in class! Math is a subject he continues to be passionate about, so I reach out to the school annually for math acceleration. He is given math assessments at the start of each year to determine the appropriate placement, and is given the option of joining a higher level class, or doing independent study in his classroom. We opted this year to have him join the higher level math class on a modified schedule, and we are grateful for the ability to choose the right option for him. The daily SEL teaching is also very well done. Many schools don't have the ability to go in-depth with SEL, but our BT has devised fun games and exercises for the kids to put their SEL knowledge into practice. It was so sweet to hear that my son's 4th grade class taught new recess games to the K/1 class! The BT's keep a close watch throughout the day, so the students are able to learn and play in a physically and emotionally safe environment. When conflicts arise, the staff is there to help the students resolve the issue in an appropriate way. We get daily reports, and twice monthly newsletters sharing what he's learning, so I know he's receiving a high quality education. If your child is at a school that is not meeting their needs, I encourage you to tour the Burkard School. It is truly a gem of a school!

We found TBS about three years ago and it is quite surprising that there aren't more schools for…read morebright kids who have significant social & emotional challenges, including mood disorders. We unfortunately found very little real understanding and expertise along the way, moving from program to program, from school to school, in every case deeply involved with the IEP process. Then we decided to try TBS. The results have been nothing short of amazing. Our student's self-esteem and emotional intelligence started to grow from the start and has continued to grow ever since. No more calls asking us to come quickly, the benefits to our entire household have been pretty incredible, across parents, siblings, and friends alike. When your student talks to you about how the kids at school are 'just like me', when they express a sense of belonging and common purpose to thrive in the face of big emotions, you can only smile and reflect on the journey. ...and imagine what it's like for other parents to understand you, understand your child, and understand so much of the details of the journey. The TBS community, made up of students, teachers, and parents is one that sees your child as deserving, powerful, and good.

our mission levantar uplifts immigrant families in north…read morefair oaks and redwood city--offering education, cultural enrichment, and responsive support through trusted relationships. great place to volunteer. loving and caring staff.