I have a lot of suitcases that I wanted to donate to foster kids. I called and left a message. It's…read morebeen over a week and no response. I guess I'll toss them in the trash rather than give it to a for profit place like Goodwill Pity

My only experience with this establishment has been for donating clothing. Therefore whatever other…read moreexperiences people have had with them, I of course consider the importance. But mine only relates to donating. I've donated a few times with them. Its all been very positive. It happened to be when I would call and ask what was needed, someone always answered the phone and assisted me (again, just my experience). I donated the items, and each time they gave me the standard tax exemption forms. I plan to head there sometime soon to donate clothing. Hope it will again be a good experience. If its not, I will come back here to share.

Corrupt manager Kojack M. had undisclosed financial interests in the property management company…read moreand its services and vendors. Thus, repairs, basic, essential services like pest control and plumbing issues routinely took a week to several months to resolve while apparently he negotiated prices for work orders. And they took as much as NINETEEN MONTHS to be fulfilled! Myself having worked in the apartment leasing industry at up to 400 unit complexes, have NEVER seen such lengthy neglect to provide service to the tenants and the physical apartment issues! The rental business is firstly a PEOPLE business, which people pay rent to the landlord in order to lease the unit premises. Further, KM also stole a total of $85,000 from two tenants while I was there or shortly before. They SHOWED me their boxes of many receipts. Each of them and other tenants had pending or considered lawsuits against KM and the property management company and AFH. After I left, one of them sent me several messages in extensive detail articulating that KM quickly threw some things into his pickup and drove away before law enforcement (sheriffs) could arrest him. (Ironically, he had been accepted into the LAPD academy. But I don't think he's there now. Do you? Lol). And he at 6'4", 350-400 lbs. he was an intimidating bully, and yielded his physicality very readily, including an assault upon me, for which I am considering a lawsuit for intentional infliction of emotional distress. However, I do feel sorry for the tenants who remained who may have lost their apartment homes due to the apparently epic shake up after the collapse of the then landlord's ownership. Had I more choices, I would have avoided Casa Paloma Apartments as I was told to do on my third day there by an elderly couple as they exited.

After I have looked more in depth at American family housing I find it there are people who are…read morethankful for them for what they have done for them but these people have dealt with American family housing 3 years ago some longer management has changed the atmosphere amongst the people have changed within the employees and management staff and not for the better. I've spoken with employees who will rename name this for fear of losing their jobs and I have been told that the organization itself was about doing good for those in need helping those get stable housing get their feet back on the ground get gainful employment with a roof over their head but if you notice I had used the word was American family housing was at one point doing all they can for those in need and the key word there is was they are no longer that many families will what come forth and say so as well the living conditions that they are having to live in some said that it's inhabitable but they stay because they have no other options nor the resources for help the funding that these type of places receive is enormous with only about 30% of their funding received as being used for the purpose that's been given for so where does the rest go the other 70% I'll tell you where it goes It goes in the pockets of those in higher positions within American family housing it goes in their bank accounts to their enormous houses luxurious cars very expensive business lunches and so on sooner or later someone will recognize American family housing for what they are and that is selfish greedy and what I would call opportunistic they jump on the opportunity to get funding donations whatever you could think of at the misfortune of those in need and those people who are in need they accept what they're giving because it's more than what they had they don't see the fact that they could be getting so much more to help their daily lives become better so they take what they can get and accept it because they don't want to lose what they have now they don't want every percussion to fall back on them for speaking out the truth on what they deal with with American family housing. I encourage anyone reading this interview and other interviews about American family housing to not take my word for this do not take the word of others who left reviews who have filed complaints who have given negative feedback or even positive in that matter but to look at it yourself and see what is there and what American family housing is really all about I will tell you it's not about the community and those in need it's about the bank accounts of those higher up it's about the bottom dollar.

I'm not much into McDonalds. Maybe the occasional egg white McMuffin on my way to an early…read moretee-time. But McDonalds beats In n Out hands down when it comes to caring for sick children and their families. My Lion's Club chapter had the honor of cooking for 50 people here this week and I am the one who feels the benefit. Without going into the full history of this place, the brief story is that McDonalds donates a small hotel-like building walking distance from different children's hospitals. This one is next to Children's Hospital Orange County (CHOC). The donated structure is run like a no-charge hotel, with volunteers and a few staff members, for families to stay while their child is at CHOC. Families must submit an application, have financial need and, pending space (maybe a dozen rooms) can stay here up to a month before requesting an extension. Breakfast and dinner is cooked each day for families. The food and labor is provided by volunteer groups. Groups of friends, businesses, restaurants, service organizations, etc. sign up about three months in advance. The menus are pre-approved, the food must all be cooked on site, and volunteers must all be in good health. They provide a fully stocked kitchen and some permanent volunteers are on hand to provide guidance. We were able to sit and dine with the guests and hear their stories of heartbreak, perseverance and strength. Think about the triple whammy that these folks go through. First, their child is sick enough to need a specialized children's hospital. Next, it is far enough away from home that you need a hotel for the family. Lastly, you don't have the financial resources for both the medical care and housing. This place fills that need. The Ronald McDonald House is a God-send and McDonalds should be applauded for providing this type of low-key and vital assistance to the public. No Happy Meals are served here. No golden arches out front. No McDonald's advertisements, clowns or commercials blaring inside. Just good people caring for their kids and good people assisting the families. Very humbling.

I have been blessed with my life to live this long and share the journey through Yelp and my work…read more Life does surprising things and I hope for the better. Unfortunately, life tends to do a 180 and the best thing we can do is to help our fellow neighbors. I work for a very large company and they are constantly doing their best to help our fellow man. My company teamed up with a special company, but not because they have the Golden Arches or they make Hamburgers, but the foundation that we see, but ignore. Our Team is headed over to the Orange County Ronald McDonald House in the city of Orange. Located about two blocks north of W. La Veta Ave. on the east side of Batavia St., you will find the three story tall and world famous charity, Ronald McDonald House. While the name is associated with the Golden Arches, this is a separate entity and does not promote fast food and is not fully funded besides from the contributions of the local neighborhood. My employer is a large organization and they decided to spend some time helping families and their children that are going medical procedure at the local Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). A few minutes or hours of our volunteer time are helpful to the families in need. Families can stay at the Ronald McDonald House with approved forms from their Physician for only $10 a day. The $10 covers the room, food, laundry, and many other activities. This place is essentially another home away from home. Some families are not fortunate to drive many miles away to leave their littles ones behind thus requesting the assistance of the Ronald McDonald House. This home is amazing. It is three floors of amenities for families just looking for a short place to stay. If I am not mistaken, there are 20 rooms for families to stay. There is a large kitchen for volunteers like my organization to prepare and cook meals for the day. Also, there are game/activity rooms for families to help ease some of the mindsets/emotions that they are going through. Heaven forbid you and/or your child has to go through this. Our organization signed up to prepare breakfast. The Ronald McDonald House has all the tools (i.e. knives, plates, utensils), but all we have to do is bring the ingredients and cook. We had the task of making breakfast burritos, eggs, waffles, sandwiches, and many other delicious. Food is what makes the journey memorable. Volunteering is a human characteristic that we all have done in one form or another. The greatest part of the whole experience wasn't just cooking, preparing, cleaning: It was the smiles and gratitude from the families who just wanted a hot meal. I used to go to the Golden Arches and see a Ronald McDonald House Donation Box at the window. After talking with the staff member, donations are low and are usually high during the Holiday Season. While we may see the Golden Arches being a name on the house, most of the staff are volunteering out of the kindness of their hearts and their wallets. There are many donors across many doors and hallways. Donors are the reason why the Ronald McDonald House continues to thrive. Everyday many families come through this house looking for a haven and as we may feel helpless, we have done the best we can to make their day better and better by passing it forward. This Yelp Voyage is my novel. I write to share the experience and for you to interpret it. My guidance is through you. It is BECAUSE of you that I want to recreate the same experience. The end result is success because you made me share my story. Yelp your story every day!

This Center changed MANY lives just before Thanksgiving 2012! Volunteers helped assemble and pass…read moreout full Thanksgiving meals for over 500 families. Such a rewarding experience to be part of the BEST of OC! Call the center and contribute to the GIFT of giving =D

Bracken's kitchen is a wonderful organization that helps those who suffer from food insecurity. If…read moreyou're looking for a place to volunteer, please reach out to them. I volunteered yesterday, and the staff was extremely helpful. We were given a tour of their kitchens, and everything was clean and organized. They also have a culinary training program for those in the community that need it. There's no better feeling than doing something for someone else

And great time was had by all this year's "Hungry Games" where many folks gather to support…read morefeeding the hungry, "One Delicious Meal at aTime" I was honored to support! Always a great causeand fun.

It feels great to help people in need, and I managed to convince my girlfriend to volunteer with me…read morehere and give it a try and see how rewarding it is. I've volunteered at various food banks and this is definitely one of the more challenging ones. Packing/sorting the peaches is a messy job and either that or the onions got some type of allergen on our forearms, making us super itchy. On the box packing assembly line I was given two stations so I worked like a dog as fast/hard as I could so I wouldn't let the rest of the line down even though I probably should've taken a break. It was like an hour long cardio workout and I was drenched in sweat by the end of it, but we got A LOT of boxes packed.

Great place to volunteer and give back to the community. They are very well organized. There is…read moreusually lines where you work to box food items into it. Great way for groups to come and volunteer together. You will have fun.

Always an honor to visit the heroes who taking care of our movies. Call in and stop by with freshly…read morepacked food from restaurants and they would be thrilled to share with the nobles. Thank you!

I did an over the phone Intake for a mother and a son and was able to get a bed in 15 minutes good…read morejob thank you for your help

Community Action Partnership is a wonderful company. They provide utility assistance, food, and…read moremany other services to help you get through a rough time. I value them very much. They've helped me with my Utilities as a single mother. I truly appreciate all that they have done for me. Thank you!

It's always good to give back to a community even though I've never needed their help. I've had the…read morepleasure to work with like minded people in helping out the less fortunate. It's just take a little time and effort and with a community of people you can help many more out there. Today our immediate group put together 2400 boxes to help 2400 families. It's a group effort indeed as different groups help out in different areas. We put together boxes and send them into the production assembly line where others put into the boxes nutritional items and then they are sealed shut and stacked onto pallets which are eventually transported to pantries around the area and or delivered directly to individuals. Elementary students up to adults help out. You can signup your group to take on a weekend for a great cause. You also can do it for student credit for like when colleges want to see how well rounded you are and how you impact your community. It's fun and you meet new people.