Receptionist is rude, unprofessional. Lobby smells of urine. Very disorganized center.read more

From the owner: The Charles River Center is a nonprofit human service agency with offices in Needham and Natick,…read moreMassachusetts, providing employment and job training, residential homes, day habilitation, and recreational programs for children and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities.

I joined this Y for two main reasons: 1) get a cardiac workout on their ellipticals and do some…read moreweights 2) proximity to where I live. I found this Y to be ideal for the following reasons: a) clean - I noticed frequent wipe down of equipment by staff, b) all equipment were well-maintained and functional, c) equipment always available when I needed them - I usually went during non-peak hours, d) adequate parking, e) friendly staff, f) small but clean mens' locker room, f) affordable monthly rates. They seemed to have hourly aerobic/zumba classes, which appear to be well-populated, although I didn't take any. Membership also allows access to their smaller Great Plain Ave facility that has an indoor pool. For full disclosure, I took a few months off as I was concerned with they dod not have a mandatory mask policy. I reached out to their management, and received a prompt response in the form of a phone call. They were sympathetic to my concerns, and simply following the CoVid guidance from the town of Needham. In summary, this a hidden gem/gym in Needham. If you are not a major league body builder, this is a great place for a workout

Where to start. There is only one weight bench and only one squat rack. If you just need cardio…read morethis is fine. But you will go weeks without seeing anybody under 50. But the clientele won't hesitate to steal your bench or hassle you to work in their meager 5-lb set. In my three years as a member there I only saw one or two people of color, which I don't fault them for but just kind of makes me sad for Needham in general... a gym for a bedroom community of atrophied pushy white retirees. It maybe worth investing in a machine where people can wash their gym jeans shorts, because it is the ex officio gym attire in these parts. On that note, enforcing a gym-appropriate dress code must be a constant challenge for management-- I would support discouraging overly tight clothing to keep that terrible privilege out of the wrong hands. Trust me, you will too. Anyway. I joined another gym so I could feel a little younger.

What an amazing place that carbs about the community. Was here for volunteer work and quality…read morematters when it came to separating items for donations. I like that care is put into this organization. Donations that were damaged, stained, smelled, etc were trashed. Just because people get donations doesn't mean the deserve poor quality items. I truly enjoyed volunteering here and would definitely do it again. Please donate any new or gently used goods here. It helps people who need it.

I've volunteered here 3 times in last 4 or so months and it's truly incredible. I need to sign up…read morefor more! You get grouped off to different stations (shoes, big sort, sizing, or building outfits, etc.), and by the end of the two hour shift, the staff is able to summarize everything each station completed. You can see and hear the immediate impact you're making on children at risk of clothing insecurity in the Greater Boston Area. It was super easy signing up online as a volunteer group, and I couldn't recommend it more.

They also have a pretty big used book section. They have a person you can contact to set up…read moredelivery, I don't know the prices. The furniture varies on prices and some are pretty good condition, some are banged up or missing a chair ( table sets) but overall I think it's worthwhile to shop or donate there.

This is used to be such a fun place to shop, but when I was there recently the two bro-dudes behind…read morethe counter were too busy scrolling on their phones or making snide comments at the customers' expense to be of much help. There was one young woman on the floor who was working, and the folks around back at the dock were available to help us load things. But the behavior or the bro-dudes at the front was so off-putting that not only do I not want to go back now, I really can't recommend this location to anyone. As for value, only bother to go if you can afford to haul off the big ticket items on your own. This store contracts with a delivery service -- a man of one -- who is expensive and no so easy. His delivery fee alone makes "what a deal!" less of a steal. I really miss the Habitat for Humanity Restore that used to be in Peabody. Everyone who worked there was a gem. And their delivery service was affordable.

Amazing finds!! Less expensive than savers, and better quality items. Clothing (mostly women's),…read morelinens, dishes, other small houseware items, including art! There's a dollar rack as well as a "collection" rack. Everything from Shein to Tory Burch. Lot's of fun sales too. The staff is super friendly, always a good vibe if you know what I mean. They take cash, cards, phones... Also there's a good loyalty program where you can get stamps for your purchases to use for future discounts. It's a hidden gem in Needham for sure.

Excellent value!!! Friendly staff!!! Clean and organized!! My number one thrift store!!! Highly…read morerecommend!!!

Very disappointed loaded my snow blower into car and brought to this establishment after hearing…read moretheir ad on BBZ radio, and when I got there they claimed that they don't service Cub Cadet machines! I have a Briggs and Stratton motor just like all their other machines! very discouraging and would not recommend this business!

I needed my snowblower repaired on short notice, and Needham garden center filled my need. They…read morepicked up the snowblower in 2 days, fixed the problem and had it back to me 2 days later. They provided prompt professional service at a reasonable price. Highly recommend!

I frequently come here every month or two and find the best stuff!! I've gotten real leather…read morejackets for $20, a faux fur coat in great condition, a $5 vintage beaded jacket, a backpack shaped like a bottle of nail polish, and many other items! There's a lot of older/vintage type clothing here so if you're into that like I am, you can have a lot of fun finding new pieces for your wardrobe. Tip: the jacket area in the men's section can sometimes have women's jackets mixed in, so take a look and don't be too hung up over the labling of sections of the store. Look all over! You can find some real gems here if you are willing to sift through racks upon racks of clothing. Also, make sure to get a rewards card if you come here often!

I'm pretty disappointed to see the donation area left wide open after hours and people trashing…read morethrough donations, stomping through and the side of the building looks like a landfill. It's such a shame because people drop off, hoping their items can help generate money for a community organization that helps so many. It's not very good. Stewardship of people's donated property to let it get trashed and broken and spread out. It's hazardous and a community health issue. I have seen people rummaging through bags left on the donation deck at night and just obliterating mess left for volunteers on Monday. And there's no cleanup in the parking lot! They need to be gated and closed off after hours

Just to add to the great review by Adrienne -- The Women's…read moreLunch Place is an amazing community run by dedicated and caring people. I've volunteered there many times, and the experience was wonderful. The staff is as open, kind and welcoming to volunteers as they are to their ladies. The ladies? Wow. Having the opportunity to really get to know some of the women in this community is a real blessing. The WLP is one of my favorite volunteer opportunities. Try it out!

Today, I was given ice packs, Motrin and Tylenol for extreme swelling in lower extremities due to…read moreacute osteoarthritis. They wouldn't allow me to elevate my feet for medical reasons on a chair because common sense did not prevail. A volunteer upstairs allowed me to elevate legs and a young woman Deseree attempted to pull chair out from underneath me when I said I need a minute as I had bilateral knee replacements as well. No common sense. She said if you have a bag (lol) put.your feet on that. Moments like that diminish the good that is accomplished here.

We went for Dudley's birthday fundraiser/celebration and it was a blast. The animals are clearly…read morewell-loved and cared for and the volunteers were super nice and friendly.

Lovely place to volunteer. The animals are very well taken care of and happy. They have a nice…read morecalendar of events for the public to schedule a visit and staff are nice.