- Virtual event:…read more Rosewood Medicinal Native Garden, a talk by Radhika Thekkath - This talk will feature an in-depth visit to the Rosewood Medicinal Native Garden, one of the gardens on the 2021 Going Native Garden Tour. Come on a tour to a suburban garden stocked with native plants valued for their medicinal value. The Rosewood Palo Alto garden is about 12 years old, converted from non-native grass to native plant areas. The garden features a pond with waterfall and bathing area for birds and wildlife, a native pollinator meadow, edible fruits, and a compost area. The tour will be followed by a question and answer session with the garden owner. This talk is part of the 2021 Going Native Garden Tour, which started in April, and is providing virtual tours throughout the year. Register for the tour at www.gngt.org to receive updates on upcoming tour activities. Radhika Thekkath is a retired computer scientist who has been gardening with native plants and has been an active member of our Chapter for over ten years. She recently returned to California after a three year stay in Washington state. Her more recent work includes active forestry management and stewardship as well as sustainable building with cob and straw bale. She is currently completing an in-depth course in permaculture design. This talk will be live streamed on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/CNPSSantaClaraValley) Good sources on native medicinal plants and their uses: https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/GA/23MedicinalPlantstheNativeAmericansUsedonaDailyBasis.pdf

I love this nonprofit and the work they do! educational legends and a real staple for gardeners…read moreeverywhere :,)

We hosted a Celebration of Life event here, and everything went very smoothly. The rental cost was…read morevery reasonable too. The grounds and the El Palo Alto room were very clean and tidy. All staff members were very helpful and kind. They have a loading dock straight to the back of the kitchen for easy decor and catering loading. Ceiling projector worked perfectly, and AV was easy to hook up. The ceiling speakers had a weird echo and were difficult to hear, so I recommend bringing your own speakers if you're hosting a large event. We were able to set out round dining tables for nearly 170 guests for lunch, and there was plenty of space for everyone, plus a buffet line, bar, beverage station, and some activity stations. They had plenty of furniture for us to use - all of it was kept in great shape, and easy to set up. The automatic roller shades were easy to use, and the AC worked great once we had the correct temperature and settings dialed in. Our event was on a very hot day in August, but the room was very comfortable. The facility coordinator John was amazing and super helpful for our day-of setup and teardown needs and questions.

It's always nice here , the service is great by John , the quality of the place is new, the…read morebathrooms are clean and it's great having ADa's cafe next to center to get all your snacks!! Very good value with free library on site , amazing staff. And there's tennis courts!!

I adopted a dog here last summer. I stumbled upon the post online on a Thursday & decided to apply…read more That evening I received an interview phone call (I actually ended up chatting with the volunteer for an hour!) The following morning I received an email that I was invited to meet/adopt. I paid the $75 deposit and scheduled a meeting for Sunday morning, to give myself a day to think it over. Friday night I spent some time looking into the rescue since the previous steps had happened so quickly. After reading reviews, I was definitely upset & VERY hesitant after reading how their meet and greet process goes and where the dogs come from. Saturday I mulled it all over, and decided to go visit the dog Sunday with a list of restrictions. I went early to stake the place out, it was definitely sketchy in a back parking lot and felt weird. Eventually the dog rounds the corner with his foster parents and we meet. The dog was exactly as described & his personality and demeanor matched perfectly to what I had heard about him. He jumped into my arms and I knew then there was no way I was leaving without him. I spent an hour there with the dog & the fosters. They answered all my questions, didn't rush me, and I really got a sense of the dog. Months later and he is still the same dog I met that day- I know this isn't the case for everyone, but I'd say give it a chance!

Doggie Protective Services (DPS Rescue) has left me with some concerns about how this organization…read moreis operated, and I strongly encourage anyone considering donating, fostering, volunteering, or adopting to do their own research before getting involved. First, look at the organization's public records yourself. DPS continues to represent itself as a federally recognized 501(c)(3), but federal tax exempt recognition is not the same thing as being in good standing with the State of California. Public California records have shown the organization as suspended/not in good standing. Don't just take my word for it, search the California registries yourself and look at the filings and status. This is only the beginning of many concerns. It seems that an extraordinary amount of control in this organization is concentrated in the hands of one person, Tera. For an organization that relies so heavily on donations, fosters, and unpaid volunteers, there is not much transparency or checks and balances in place here. There are no boards, and it's simply a dictatorship. Who holds leadership accountable? How are major operational and financial decisions reviewed? And how are donors supposed to understand where their money is going? People should also review the organization's publicly available tax filings themselves. At the time of writing this review, the most recent filing I was able to locate was for 2024. Rather than blindly donating hundreds and thousands of dollars, I encourage donors to look at its IRS filings, California registration status and come to their own conclusions instead of letting the term "501(c)(3)," mislead them. Do not misunderstand me though, the volunteers and fosters for this organization are some of the most incredible people. My criticism is not directed toward those people. Many of them are the reason dogs are fed, transported, fostered, taken to appointments, brought to events, and cared for everything in between going to their forever home. Tera on the other hand has little regard for the volunteers and fosters who genuinely keep this organization running. She is manipulative, disrespectful, and verbally abusive, and destroys relationships with people who have faithfully dedicated their time and homes to these dogs. Meanwhile, Tera lives in Kentucky while these volunteers keep her organization afloat for her... The dogs deserve better, and so do the people who sacrifice so much for them. If you are considering DPS, research before you commit. Look beyond the social media posts and adoption photos. The dogs deserve a responsible rescue. Donors deserve transparency. And the volunteers and fosters doing the actual work deserve respect. On another related note, there are some threads on Reddit about her dark history as a "dog broker" back in the 2000s. It's worth a read. Pretty juicy details in my opinion! So great, nothing has changed!

hubby surprised me with a cheese making 101 class at collective roots this weekend. didn't know…read morethat this place existed in east palo alto and must admit was a little wary of the location, but once we got there it felt like we were at someone's private residence. there is a beautiful garden with herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, chicken coop with hens and roosters, and beehives! we made 5 different yogurts and cheeses in our short 3 hour class: -yogurt - went through the steps of yogurt making using culture from store bought yogurt -greek yogurt/yogurt cheese - let the yogurt drain and have a richer yogurt -cultured butter - yogurt culture in fresh butter -ricotta - super easy to make and enjoy -mozzarella - fresh mozzarella in 1 hour the class was enjoyable, we got to meet lots of new people and learned a lot about local produce and cheese making. the best part was using the fruits, herbs, and honey right from the grounds of collective roots! nothing like fresh, local produce. great experience...can't wait for cheese making 102!

From the owner: The Collective Roots Community Garden provides an opportunity for gardening skill-building,…read moreresource sharing, and community empowerment in East Palo Alto, CA. Operated by 501(c)3 non-profit Fresh Approach, the garden offers a place for community members to gain hands-on experience with organic gardening. Through our workshops, volunteer workdays, and community resources, we equip families with the skills and means to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables. Residents of East Palo Alto can enjoy additional free resources, such as a tool lending library and free seeds, while qualifying residents can apply for free home garden installation and use of garden plots at the Collective Roots garden. By building a strong, sustainable network of local growers, we're improving access to healthy food while helping preserve the food sovereignty of the many cultures that call East Palo Alto their home.

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?

I have incurable cancer. I have been through chemo and have lingering serious side effects so…read moregetting to a food pantry is hard not to mention. I don't have a car. I found Second Harvest Food Bank delivers food to the door. So I applied and they have been delivering to my door when they don't send lazy delivery drivers that leave my food outside my apartment building for everyone to get, or in the lobby or in the mail room to leave my food to rot. Even if I could go to the lobby or mail room, I can't lift my box and bring it up five floors. Not to mention, I don't get notification that the food box has even been delivered so I don't know if it's been delivered to the lobby, mail room, or left outside. I have called several times explaining I am not getting my food boxes, even though they send out another food box 5 days later, I shouldn't have to wait five extra days for food. Not to mention 7 out of 10 times I get my box it's loaded with rotten fruit and vegetables full of mold. To which by the way I am highly allergic to food mold. I have called. I have spoke to supervisors. I have spoken to several different people at Second Harvest Food Bank. They apologize. Which I appreciate, but that doesn't help me with my food. They said if you don't want to receive moldy fruit and vegetables come and pick up the box yourself. Nice I would if I could. I'm sure others with my health issues and my age would attest to the fact that we would do a lot of things if we were physically capable of doing it. So apologies fall on deaf ears because I still don't receive my food boxes when I should and like I said half the time the food is rotten full of mold. Shaking my head because I see the commercials and I see people donating to which I appreciate. I see people in their cars in line getting all this beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables not to mention holiday boxes to which I don't receive a holiday box I don't get anything to celebrate Easter, Thanksgiving no turkey, no Christmas box just beans and rice is what people who get their food delivered get along with moldy fruit and vegetables. I guess that is Second Harvest Food Bank's way of saying happy holidays. You don't get a holiday box you don't need to celebrate a holiday.

Over a long span, my family & I have adopted 3 cats from 9 lives and enjoyed them all ; ) One is…read morestill with us. I was at the new location recently after my oldest passed. It's very nice and so was the volunteer that helped me. I explained I had an older cat and got advice. I adopted a male cat that just didn't work out sadly w/ my other cat ~ I had to bring him back sadly and there was no judgment at all. I appreciated that, as I already was super sad about it. I will continue to donate to this org.

I brought in a tom stray cat. He is super sweet. We finally caught him. I had an appointment to get…read morethe neutering done and all his shots up to date. They put some ointment on his face to heal looks like he got into a fight with some other animal. His face looks like it is healing nicely. The staff were very friendly. Found out he was around 10 years old. Very accommodating.

Going, going, gone. I've been coming to this place over the span of a couple years to remove my…read moretattoo and I had my last session today. Rosalind did such a great job, taking consideration for my skin tone and safe and effective removal. The price was very affordable and I've always been seen promptly. I would highly recommend coming here for your services.

Affordable and quick tattoo removal You do have a small…read morewindow o get on the schedule for the month but the with the rates they offer I really don't mind

We hosted our dogs birthday party at Pup Plaza, and it was such an amazing experience! Everyone had…read moreso much fun - both the dogs and their humans. The space was clean, maintained, and perfect for celebrating. Yvonne was amazing! Super friendly, welcoming, and extremely helpful. We couldn't have asked for a better place to celebrate our pups special day. Highly recommend Pup Plaza for ant dog party or play date.

I'm so glad this space exists and I s available for my pup. Thank you all for making this happen…read more We have enjoyed visiting.