I have had the wonderful opportunity to cook for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald house…read moreseveral times because my work volunteers as a guest chef once a quarter. It is a great team building experience for myself and my coworkers and it is such a rewarding experience! Truth be told, it's loads of fun! The Ronald McDonald House Charities of New Mexico helps by "providing a home away from home" for families with a sick or injured child. During their stay there they can prepare their own meals, but almost every night, volunteers will cook for them. Anyone can volunteer! Couples, families, companies! Contact them and they can give you a calendar with open dates to come and cook! It has become something I look forward to each quarter!

I know, I know, the rating isn't exactly a big surprise, here. How does one critique a charity,…read moreother than gush? "I was going to give them five stars, but the receptionist was a jerk. One star!" Of course not. But this House is exceptionally worthy of a review, if only because when I toured the facility I learned so much about the organization and the good work they do. So here, dear reader, is an overview of what makes these clowns so special. I'll approach this from the standpoint that you don't know anything about 'em - I didn't. I knew it was a national organization, I guess, but I had no idea that this facility operates completely independent of national support. This is OUR house, and it provides assistance to the bedrock of our New Mexican population, our kids and their families. This state is one of the most rural in the country, which is why RMH is so crucial; when children become desperately ill or need serious medical attention, they're often headed to Albuquerque because, let's face it, there aren't many choices for quality medical care across the state. At RMH these families have a home. For a week, a month, two months, whatever it takes, they have a place to eat and sleep and concentrate on bonding, rather than stress about survival. All of the food is donated. The facility features rotating local chefs, so the dining options are often fabulous, and the house itself is lovely, with sitting areas and an outdoor playground and a bevy of clean, comfortable rooms. From an operational standpoint the faculty is superb, and this charity puts on a lot of great events throughout the year, Girls Night Out being the flagship fundraiser. If you've ever considered supporting this nonprofit monetarily, voluntarily, or otherwise, but have wondered how "local" it really is, I promise, this place is authentically New Mexican.

It helps a lot. The cheese is amazing for macaroni and cheese. Queso is also yummy…read more Polite people and very kind.

What an awesome organization that provides free food to the economically challenged seniors! I…read morenever even heard of it till I had the privilege to serve them through Sagebrush Church's community event. The place is a bit tough to find because though it has a sign on the street side, the building sign is on the BACK of the building. It just says "ECHO" and there's only one way to get there because the other end of the parking lot is fenced off. Anyway, the warehouse has a very efficient system how they pack their packets. We got to prepare probably 500-600 packets that day. I was told those in need just have to prove their income and bring their utility bill and they receive the food that day. If you know of any seniors over 65 in need, please spread the word!

This place has really helped us out! I'm forever in their debt!! We try and go as little as…read morepossible but they always have smiling faces. They are so helpful too!

Horrible place to work. Also horrible place to take your loved ones. They where good at one point…read morebut after being there for 5 years it has really gone down hill. They need to clean house and get new management because the ones that are there are not in it for the right reasons anymore. Btw you and your clients would benefit more if you brought your day hab back.

Horses. Farm fresh eggs. Alpacas, baby goats, a curated garden and peaceful shaded patio, green,…read moregreen acres. If I'm looking for a term to describe my visits to Mandy's Farm, I'm going with Idyllic. The property is true country livin' and from what I understand, that's exactly what this nonprofit that assists folks with developmental disabilities -- chiefly, those on the autism spectrum -- is going for. What an incredible organization. And when you think about it, of course, simplifying is the solution. Individuals on the spectrum tend, generally, to really struggle with the peripheral, what's going on around them, ambient noise and motion and shadow, and the urban everyday is absolutely clattering with these distractions. Mandy's Farm provides a permanent residence -- it's a home, first and foremost -- for people who need to take shelter from the storm. Residents learn to simply live, whether that's cooking or growing food or riding horses, the main facility includes a specially designed swimming pool for rehabilitation, the farm provides tactile experiences and interactions with nature. How friggin' genius, man. Essentially, the story goes that the farm was named after Mandy, her parents were concerned about what Mandy would do as she matured and they got older, if she might struggle to handle the busy world around her, and so they built this farm, and Mandy started her own little business, E is for Eggs (she loves Sesame Street), and the farm has grown to support many people, a job training program, and produce they sell to local growers markets. You can experience the idyllic by volunteering your time, any time of the year. Just contact them.

Project Share is a great organization. It is also a useful way to volunteer your time, energy or…read moremoney. They dedicate themselves to feeding the hungry every day of the week except Wednesday for dinner. Anybody in need can line up at 5PM for a HOT meal. It is always a hot meal and consists of a main dish, a vegetable, milk or juice, rolls and always a dessert! The portions are large and people can line up for seconds again if they would like to. Volunteers can call to serve and organizations can sponsor a meal. To sponsor, you can provide the main course or donate money to purchase the main course. You and your team/organization can serve the meal that night. The food always looks good and the cook (Albert) puts such care into each meal preparation. Go and say Hello to Albert! Many churches, good will groups or charitable organizations do this. I may do it sometime in the future with my company (if I can get any volunteers, that is). Project Share is in need of personal items for their free clothing bank. It is getting colder and they will need coats, warm clothing, gloves, scarves and blankets. I volunteered in the clothing bank and there are sometimes children that come in. They have a lot of children's clothes but need backpacks, school items and items kids would enjoy. In fact the backpacks go fast for all age groups, so that the people can carry their items wherever they go. Other items needed include travel size toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, soap bars, and especially shampoo/conditioner. When we stay in luxury hotels, the nice stuff you get would be great. Many of the items are generic and who doesn't need a little luxury in their lives? There is use for underwear as well. I noticed they also need men's shoes. Finally there is a guy that goes in there all of the time asking for dog food for his dog. I took a small bag once. Maybe donate some pet food separated into small baggies so people can feed their pets. Overall, this is a fine charitable organization that helps the community of SE Albuquerque!

Here's a shout-out sending props for the Community Foundation, as I've now had several great…read moreinteractions with the organization over many, many years. Most recently, a visit to Impact & Coffee proved resourceful and worthy of an hours' attention: a monthly networking event for nonprofits, if you're interested in finding some of the city's best lesser-known resources, visit. Otherwise, this Foundation has a great track record of supporting some of the city's best events and celebrations, which in turn support great nonprofits, full circle. Oh, and if you're in the neighborhood, take a quick look at the building and office spaces, gorgeous. In this time of COVID-19, they're also working closely with the United Way of Central New Mexico to provide grants to small businesses that need some help, and they're offering educational Zoom courses. This week, they worked with Southwest Creations Collaborative to help them sew face masks and medical gowns. In difficult times like these, it's super inspiring to see an organization pool its resources, and be nimble in the face of adversity.

First of all, Randy is amazing. Talk about someone who truly, truly cares about our community! The…read moreAlbuquerque Community Foundation is dedicated to making our community a better place to live and I'm all for that. They constantly have these fantastic power sessions called Impact & Coffee to connect people who are in the non profit world or who just plain are doing good out in the community to come together over some coffee and chat about current and upcoming projects so they can potentially join forces. It's a fantastic idea and one that needs to catch on like wildfire! And that's just one small thing this foundation is doing to better our city!

From the website: ABQ Mutual Aid is a coalition of local organizations and individuals working to…read moreprotect our at-risk community members during the COVID-19 emergency in New Mexico. Established on March 16, 2020, as of October 23, the organization claims to have assisted a running total of 5,257 families and 23,657 individuals with food and hygiene products across Central New Mexico. Over the last two weeks, Yelp ABQ partnered with ABQ Mutual Aid for a city-wide donation drive to support agricultural farmworkers of southern New Mexico. Our efforts collected the following: 10K pairs of gloves, 1400 bandanas/face masks, 1000 rain ponchos and over 500 diapers. You can donate financial support and learn more about the organization by emailing FFOL.Outreach@gmail.com

Are used to volunteer with BBBS in other states, New Mexico's program is the first time I've been…read moretold that being a street, Caucasian, non-confused male, that earns over six figures is all a bad thing. I interviewed and went through most of the process, but I was told that being able to provide experiences for underprivileged children was a bad thing. I know it's crazy but that's what I was told, a program to give experiences to underprivileged children told me that being able to financially provide those experiences is a bad thing. I don't know what their goal is anymore, I don't know what their purpose is anymore but being a friend to a child and a mentor isn't it.

Past experience and contemporary parenting merge in this review…read more My wife and I just finished a conversation with our 14 year-old daughter about marijuana. For those of you uninitiated, who at one point used the herb, fair warning: um... good luck. Many of her friends have tried it, and my wife and I are of the (perhaps naive) assumption that she hasn't, yet. We try to offer an open dialogue about anything: pregnancy/abortion, peer pressure, politics, boys vs. girls, it's all on the table, including drugs. I sit here sipping a glass of wine, so I'd be a hypocrite to deny the discussion regarding controlled substances. I'll get back to our talk in a minute. The grand theme, here, is that parenting is unbelievably hard. And parents are never perfect. And we can never truly meet our kids on their level, even if we remember, with absolute clarity, the hell that was Growing Up. Many kids (especially those whose parents refuse to honestly talk about this rite of passage) get lost, and they need a big brother or sister who do not exist. The most mature of the lot, those with tremendous fortitude, turn to BBBS. I met Mateo in 2005. Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and left a wasteland in the wake. Like most Americans, I felt an obligation to help, but I didn't have much money and furthermore I didn't feel like writing a check would calm my conscience. I signed up with BBBS because I believed if I could help just one kid, a kid who was asking for direction, a kid just like I was, then it could make a difference. Over the next three years I hung out with Mateo, a kid who was born into a tough life, gangs surrounded him, whose dad was in and out of jail, who had a little sister and otherwise no kin of any kind. We went to a few movies, he helped me dig a garden in my backyard, we went to a batting cage and an arcade and we watched a game or two. We hung out when we could. I lost him, shortly after he turned 16. I'm guessing he joined a gang. Life at home never improved and he never opened up to me about the ugly stuff. I was a little old for a big brother by then, 32, so perhaps I wasn't the perfect match. And I wonder about him, constantly. I hope he's okay. I doubt he thinks about me. We parents are never perfect. We skirt around the stuff that we're not particularly proud of, and some of us refuse it altogether. BBBS of Central New Mexico serves kids of every stripe who strive for a way out, in any capacity. The organization was terrific, setting up events like bowling and community get-togethers that strove to connect these broken puzzle pieces with solid people in our community. From what I understand this tradition continues today. I cannot advocate enough for this organization. My own kid knows that her parents know that the pressures of teenage life are relentless. Hopefully, she understands that we've been there, we've done that (more than we'll admit), and more than anything, we just want her to be safe. I wish my parents had been so honest. And still I wonder whether this is enough. She could use a big sister. For now, she has us, survivors.