I try not to be one of those shameless self promoting gals yet I try not to shun my responsibility…read moreof sharing the opportunity to join in on the deed!! In this day and age, non profits organizations are hard to find! Unless you do an extensive search on google, submit an application, pend approval, stay determined, XYZ, well not with Love My Neighbor Foundation! This organization made it SUPER easy to volunteer! 5 star for convenience alone! Another 5 stars for smooth communication! The versatile batch of volunteers show up on the corner of 6th St and San Pedro St in DTLA from 12-2pm E-V-E-R-Y Thursday (rain or shine!) Serving a variety of bread, fresh veggies, delicious fruits, convenient dry snacks, and of course deserts, and drinks!! If you want to volunteer you just show up!! Ask for "Haley" she's the sweet founder of Love My Neighbor! She'll greet you, hand you a pair of plastic gloves and place you in line! Simple. Easy. Fun! PS. If your interested In volunteering shoot me a message.

Great community of volunteers coming together as one to help those in need. The founder Hayley…read moreworks non-stop to ensure every Thursday our neighbors are able to meet some of their basic needs.

The unity in the community is what I love about Selfish Moms. This organization has a very tight…read moreknit support group that has helped me when I needed someone to talk to and connected me with other Moms who shared similar backgrounds. They have showed up and shown out many times to support one another; nothing stops Selfish Moms from being amazing. Thank you so much for being a resource for all the moms out here . Keep up the unity in the community.

Selfish-Moms helped me not to feel guilty about taking time to care for myself. Doing so allowed me…read moreto better take care of my family. Thank you.

The CEO, Kenn Phillips and each employee are the best you'll ever find. Where do you find a boss…read morewho brings home made waffles for Breakfast for the staff and home made Pizza for lunch? He's one of the most generous and kind man I have encountered. My coworkers are awesome. Words can't express how grateful I am to work with such a group of people.

I'm very surprised to see that I am the first to offer feedback on this business and it's…read moreremarkable staff. That said, I'm delighted to share a truly five star review. I had been to the VEDC as an executive at a large non profit, to address tax changes and community affairs, and I was impressed then. But, as a resident and a new small business owner, I hadn't thought to contact them for assistance until a former colleague encouraged me to do so. Wow, am I glad I did. From the very first phone call the staff was so professional and courteous. To me, the real star is Marlen Lara. I really can't get over her phenomenal service. She is incredibly knowledgeable, a total pro, but also friendly, personably and very efficient. She followed up and followed through despite a very demanding work load. What a treasure! I wish more folks knew of and supported the work this organization does. It's a tremendous resource and a real advantage to have the range of services and support offered through the VEDC and I highly recommend those starting a business, interested in community developments or local legislation and business, reach out to this incredible group.

Note: This is their headquarters, the address where you're to send donations. CODEPINK also has…read moreoffices in San Francisco, New York City, and L.A. CODEPINK was founded 8 years ago this month in response to Emperor Dubbya's impending and sickeningly profitable invasion of Iraq. Unlike the Tea Party and other organizations of their ilk, CODEPINK is a genuine grassroots organization dedicated not only to ending wars but also pressuring our elected officials to channel public coffers into jobs, education, health care, and humanitarian relief instead of military adventurism. The group is predominantly female but is more than welcoming to men. They are also just as beyond Beltway partisanship as war itself is. Hilary Clinton has been visited by the ladies of CODEPINK 4-5 times as has Nancy Pelosi. Even President Obama has had a speech of his righteously disrupted by them. You didn't think the Democrats were doves, did you? Through rallies, protests, counter-recruitment drives, street theater, and vigils, CODEPINK has non-violently and consistently opposed death by enthusiastically defending life and all that makes it more livable. At times, their work is dangerous and could land one in jail or in the hospital via a cop's billyclub, so if you can't partake in action, at least contribute money. The peace movement needs all the funding it can rake in. I mean, do you want to live in a world where imperialist strife continues to rage on? Do you want that for you? For your children? Your grandchildren? Do you want defense contractors and mercenary firms to keep reaping abominable dividends on their immoral, blood-soaked investments? Do you want America to remain the top heel of the globe? Do you want our infrastructure to crumble, our gap between rich and poor to widen, and all green initiatives to stall because the Current Occupant is feeling hawkish and has power elites to do favors for? Do you want innocent civilians, women and children among them, to die in fire over mistruths, corporate greed, and fossil fuel addiction? If you find war to be unsustainable and peace to be a simple step towards saving the planet, I implore you to ante up. It's a safe wager that promises a windfall for every living thing.

Hope-Net offers food donations to the working poor and homeless of Los Angeles. I love…read morevolunteering at the Hope-Net's food bank at the Unitarian Church on Saturday mornings. Korean and Spanish speakers are especially needed. If your only language is English, that's cool, too - community service is service in any language. I've volunteered at various organizations and volunteering at Hope-Net's food bank has been the most rewarding. I help members from the community receiving food donations sign in, which is important for state audits. I use both Korean and Spanish (I only went up to intermediate Spanish in college) and I love it!

Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening conditions…read more They spread hope and happiness. The office is really cool inside, very appropriate for the kind of business they do.

Besides acting as fairy godmother to over 300 children a year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation also…read morehosts numerous benefits and allow you to have a good time while knowing that your money is going to a good cause. Definitely a cause to support!

It was a horrific experience showing up to meet an amazing woman to do an intake for counseling…read moreservices. I walked over and said to the Security Guard Wilber that I hadn't had my coffee and where is the entrance as he was in the driveway and he acted like a French bulldog in how intense and mean he was!!! He could have just greeted me and said it's right over here.... But instead he treated me like a criminal and it was appalling behavior- when I finally got in and spoke to the receptionists about his behavior ~ they were just as belligerent until I told Yaya that I was here for an appointment ~ Leticia acted awful and when I met with my appointment I told her how awful they all were in their lack of hospitality and ability to represent JFSLa with the dignity that is in their mission statement of core values ~ Leticia was listening and stood up and yelled in an aggressive manner "Are you telling her We are Mean!" And I was shocked a receptionist was acting like a High School Girl who wanted to fight me. Wilber walked in and I told him he was a misogynist (a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women) and rather than apologizing he said "See...There it is!" He was triggered because I called him out on his behavior and it's insulting that the CEO Eli - knows that there are people in his organization who treat their guests with such a lack of care and a complete lack of education in representing The Jewish family services with disdain for those coming to feel a sense of community. It's no problem that the staff is not Jewish but for them to be prejudiced against those coming in for help is just gross and low class behavior. Wilber acts like an Ice agent and Yaya and Leticia both Latina women act like mean girls from high school. With all the care that people have in donating money so that everyone is treated with dignity and respect - the CEO should make sure this is upheld and more training is needed. Even their Supervisor of the MFT program Linda Gingras is horrific at honoring those in need - she tried to offload me to an FSP program that was clear she discriminates against those with Neurodivergent disabilities and acts as if being Neurodivergent is a severe mental illness which it's clearly not!!! The CEO allows this behavior which is shocking because our Jewish culture is about caring for everyone and making sure everyone is treated with dignity and gets the Services in support they deserve. I related to each bad review as they spoke the truth and The Behavior I witnessed was so shocking and goes against the values and true beauty of our culture ~ it's truly appalling he allows this behavior to dominate the experiences of getting services that are funded to give services to all who come through their doors. I'm a 57 year old Jewish woman and over the past two decades of reaching out for help thru the Jewish Family Services - not once have I had a hopeful and beautiful follow through from them, but always a very dysfunctional experience- except for Maya who is outstanding and got me through the trauma I experienced in dealing with the supervisor Linda Gingras denying me services and trying to offload me into a program for really mentally ill people through her own prejudice against neurodivergence and yet Eli has Neurodivergent Security Guards and Receptionists take their anger out on those coming in for the help the Security Guard and Receptionists clearly have too. Because if they didn't ~ they would act with care rather than being triggered by those coming in believing that this organization is on the highest level of caring for everyone who walks through its doors!

During the JJewish holidays, Ms. Judy and family dropped off a special Jewish dish of lamb for the…read morecelebration! The organization is loving & kind & most considerate to the entire community, The meals are always fresh & outstanding and what a loving personal service Judy provided with the group for the special service she provided, loved it I love all of the employees and they hire a vast majority of minorities and treat them with love the neighborhood, truly appreciates the outstanding practices that you fulfill in the community. We honor and love you, Jewish family services.

Sustainable Works is affiliated with Santa Monica College. They offer classes on sustainability for…read moreSanta Monica residents. These classes are so worth taking an evening off from Grey's Anatomy! The classes are entertaining and informative and....you get free stuff! For example, one night's class was on water so we all got low-flow shower heads! I highly recommend if you live in SM, get off yer tuckus and get to class! Here's all the info: Sustainable Works Green Living Workshops Learn how to live more sustainably through a 6 week evening series of meetings covering: Water, Energy, Waste, Chemicals, Transportation, Food and Shopping. The next Residential Greening Program Workshops will begin Wednesdays, June 6th and Tuesdays, starting June 12th. Course will close at 25 participants so sign up now! Suggested Donation for Santa Monica residents $25, all others $35. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Includes training, comprehensive textbook, and sustainable tools (water saving aerators, compact fluorescent bulb, etc.) Contact Anna Cummins at the Residential Greening Program at Sustainable Works to reserve your space: Cummins_Anna@smc.edu 310.458.8716 x1 www.sustainableworks.org

Sustainable Works is a great resource for everyone who wants to learn or learn more about living an…read moreenvironmentally conscious lifestyle. I took their 6 week residential Greening Program 1 year ago - Summer 2007. You don't have to be a Santa Monica resident. The workshop is open to Los Angeles residents as well or any other residents in the Los Angeles area. The classes are very helpful to the beginners as well as to the advanced folks. I was raised in an eco-conscious family and society in Germany and I have to say the people of Sustainable Works are very passionate about what they do and encourage you to get involved in the 'green' movement and really call for action. I can highly recommend to take their 6 week residential Greening Workshop if you really want to learn about conserving energy and live the 'green' life!