Although I just started volunteering as a receptionist at this location just the other day, I do…read moreknow a lot about this place and would like to share this information with all of you. If you know a little about the ARC, come by and volunteer. Most of this office's opportunities are volunteer only(although most are field-work spots), you pretty much help out at other places, but this is a large regional office for the newly-combined Dutchess and Ulster Co. branches. (There are some paid spots within the office, but for the most part, most of the office is volunteer work. These spots tend to be the "director-level/executive level spots for paid spots, but it all depends on the situation.) This location does take donations, however clothes are not acceptable donations at this location(an ARC location in Maryland does this). If you're not sure, call this location and find out. Money(checks and cash), and MoneyGram donations are accepted, as well as supplies such as water and the like, are also accepted here. Drop it by. You'll get a tax-donation receipt for any monetary donation you can give. The American Red Cross needs your help in any way you can. You might even benefit yourself, if you have lost something due to natural disasters(or need help looking for someone, even someone who is in the military). Also at this location, they have a transport ERV(Emergency Response Vehicle) that provides the supplies to needy emergencies, based on other factors which I'm not going to get into here. Another thing they have at this location is a blood donation center, which is open every day that the main location is open. Come to the front door(nearest the parked ERV-and up the few stairs), sign in to the guestbook(and later sign-out) and give some blood.

You may have donated a few cans of soup to Foodshare over the years, but did you know they have…read moreCommunity Service volunteer opportunities for you and your team, either in Windsor or Hartford? Our offices sent a team of 14 over to Windsor this morning and we spent three hours sorting meats and poultry donated by local supermarket chains. There were many job functions and stations necessary for us to sort through 5,950 pounds of food. When the food is donated by supermarkets, all of the different meats are stored in a Foodshare walk-in freezer in big plastic bins- so the bins were full of every sort of meat found in your supermarket's meat and poultry cases. Here is what we did: Station # 1 - Big pallets full of the bins that the frozen meats were packed were delivered to us via forklift. We opened up the bins and sorted the meat by type- beef, ground beef, poultry, pork, lamb, veal, specialty, sausage, bacon, etc. Stations # 2, 3, 4, 5, -The sorted meats went to a dedicated line where teams packaged cartons for the specific types of meats. We put a sticker on the outside of the carton (beef or poultry, etc.), inspected each package for damaged packaging, marked over the UPC with a Sharpie, put a Foodshare sticker on each package, and weighed the cartons we were creating so they clocked in between 28 and 32 pounds. When a box was completed, it was stacked on a rolling cart. Station # 6 -The rolling carts were brought over to a ten degree walk in freezer where the finished cartons were stacked by category onto pallets - 24 boxes to a pallet. Station # 7 -The bins we emptied out had to be wiped down, sanitized and restacked. It was a lot of fun to see how everyone worked together doing all of these different tasks. After a while, we were efficiently working as though we were a team that had been doing this work for 5 years. It was quite a rewarding experience. Go grab your work buddies and give it a go.

In lieu of favors at our wedding last month, Jason M. and I made a donation to Foodshare. It was a…read moreno-brainer to select this charity because they have served many families in-need in the Hartford area. Making a donation was very easy to do online. Not only did I get a thank you card, I also got a thank phone call from a representative! I felt good that my donation was very appreciated. Thus, I will continue to support Foodshare whenever I am in the financial situation to give.

Everyone is so kind and nice. Janice is outstanding as an exercise teacher for Silver Sneakers…read more My week is always better after a visit here

From the owner: The Mission of the Litchfield Community Center is to provide a comfortable environment that…read moreencourages creative, intellectual and recreational pursuits to reflect the interests and needs of the community.

Today's lunch at Gather 55, the latest Hands on Hartford food experience, offered up a truly…read morewonderful meal. The place was packed but the front of the house rep found us a perfect table against the rear wall with a view of the dining room. The gentleman who fixed/adjusted our table did a super job; hate those wobbly tables I always manage to find. The menus were clear and the ordering was super easy. The end product went way above our expectations. My dining partner ordered the Chicken Salad plate with a pasta side included. The chicken was fresh, tender and delicious [I stole a piece] and the penne pasta was just right while the celery and walnuts added crunch. I had the Salmon Wrap with spinach, avocado and ginger vinaigrette. The wrap was huge and the salmon perfectly cooked while the added ingredients made the dish even better. The crowd was lively and the atmosphere was full of love. We will return! Want to try the breakfast.

The food and service were very good and the service was great. I had a walnut cranberry salad that…read morewas fresh a d tasteful with a light vinegrette dressing. I took what was left from lunch home and had two more meals from it.

I was at Omega for a week long retreat. Omega staff created a wonderful space for retreat and…read morerespite. The setting is serene. The property features spacious gardens, lush foliage, many areas to sit and reflect and nature to walk and explore. The Ram Dass Library is very nice. You cannot borrow books but enjoy in the AC comfort. The main hall is spacious for events. The dining hall features enough indoor, porch and lawn seating. Lines are never too long. The food is healthy, featuring plant protein, One day they served an unappetizing shredded chicken dish. Gluten free options were available but basic and not too inspiring. They have a lovely assortment of teas. There is a lot of veggies and a strong hand with garlic and spices and onions. if that's your fancy. The salad bar was basic but plentiful. There are dorms, cabins and campsites. My semi private cabin was comfortable and clean and pretty modern but, due to wooden frames and the door latches, movement from dorm and cabin mates can impact your sleep hygiene. I shared a cabin with a short person who weighed about 150# and I swear an elephant was in their room. I tip toed in mine and still made noise. We sorted out the door latch to be courteous. The arrival system is flawless. There is plenty of parking as well. The cafe has a nice assortment of beverages but limited food. I did not see the desserts ever that were advertised on the video. Their locally made kombucha is divine. This is a lovely space to relax in the AC and on the deck. The bookstore is chock full spiritual treasures. Their prices are very good as well. They also have a personal care area where I scored my beloved Skin Trip lotion, Overall, I found my experience to be wonderful due to my chosen event. The food was ok but in truth, I ate just enough for sustenance. It was not the highlight for me. I spent around 1200.00 for 5 nights with food and an additional for the event. I was surprised to learn the recordings are extra. The staff made the experience quite pleasant and the surroundings, lovely. The overall vibe is an adult summer camp for those seeking some zen. Good for me and a lovely respite from the chaos of the world.

I went back only because I hoped a medium would teach her techniques. It ended up being a meet and…read moregreet. Even though was advertised as a personal class. Had like 1k people in huge room & no real teaching happening. Just personal stories from people not in attendance. Wish I'd stayed away for good but alas I will not go back again. The tree's are pretty though & I met a hedgehog who made the whole drive there more fun. As I got to visit with the little animal for an hour. As left the class after yet another random audience member was allowed to tell a 10 min aimless story. Oh well. Maybe hit up a farm with animals near by. Way more healing.

If you are looking for a new furry friend, please consider adoption. When you do, contact Sadie…read moreMae. They are the best. They care about the animals and finding the right placement.