Recently my company volunteered at the Sulzbacher Center to prepare and serve lunch to those in…read moreneed. And believe me, there are a lot of people in need at this center; from homeless living on the streets of downtown Jacksonville to the few residents that live at the Sulzbacher. It is not a pretty sight at all, so we who are fortunate enough should give our time and effort to help these people. We can change lives! The kitchen at the Sulzbacher is small, but has everything you would find in a professional restaurant kitchen. The food that local businesses and individuals donate is what the staff here has to work with. So it's also important that they receive donations to help keep the center open. I will say if volunteering at Sulzbacher parking can be a real nightmare, like every other place downtown. So you'll probably have to park on Catherine St like we did. Remember love your neighbor no matter what!

Sulzbacher is a wonderful non-profit serving the most needy in our community. Please consider…read moredonating to keep their kitchen stocked and their extraordinary services for the homeless ongoing well into the future.

Shoutout to our local community heroes!! I had the honor of meeting a few awesome volunteers like…read moreWalter, Shelly, Eli, and Mack. This faithful group may fluctuate of volunteers, food availability, and people in need... but the Love is a constant!!! The lines start early and the set up starts even earlier. This team is run like a well-oiled machine and are efficient, effective, and willing to share Love with their acts of service. Food is organized for the purpose of providing for the appropriate amount of food for the appropriate amount of people. The food comes from a lot of different sources, but with the same heart of Love and Hope. There is a group of volunteers that also like to help out by providing prayer support to the individual cars as they are awaiting their turn in the drive thru line. May God bless all that are involved and may this be a Lighthouse to the community!!

Every visit is a fun filled thrift adventure! Staff is courteous, friendly and professional. The…read moreinterior is quite large and holds many great finds from children's, Womens and men's wear and more! 50% off SALE - EVERYDAY! Some of my favorite items are the men's shirts and music collection. Picked up if not brand new, gently worn clothing and great albums/cd's of some of my cherished music. Lots of parking on the property and a restroom for customers only located inside. Can't wait for my next visit to see what other wonderful items to purchase and help support this great nonprofit organization.

Every Saturday, from 10-3, under the bridges in Riverside, many of the best food and craft vendors…read morein the area, along with performers, local residents, and Jacksonville's greatest dogs, converge for a great weekend event. RAM is just a vibe. We make this a weekly stop and bring our dogs. There is something for everyone here. The outside lanes are devoted to local food vendors and food trucks respectively. Tons of great bakeries, produce and coffee selections. Inside, art, jewelry, and on stage, local talent weekly. Some of my favorite food vendors are 1748 Bakehouse and Mixed Fillings. The art vendors differ week to week and we've made a few purchases. Most importantly, this is THE highlight of the week for my dogs. They get to mingle with other dogs and people and they smile the entire time we're there. This is THE event to start your weekend in the Jacksonville area. If you haven't been, I highly encourage you to visit RAM.

This arts market is a must if you're visiting Jax. I picked up a set of blueberry ceramic bowls…read morefrom a very talented vendor and wished I had more room in my suitcase. Also, come on an empty stomach so that you can fill it up with a multi-course lunch. I highly recommend Backyard Buffalo for Indian and Mixed Fillings for pie.

This is a great place for a group, teambuilding event to help the less fortunate in the…read moreJacksonville area. I came here with my employer to volunteer as a group. There were roughly 60 of us, and we packed 1000 boxes of food. That only took about an hour, so we were also given a tour of this impressive facility, which helps other local organizations and serves a part of the local emergency services. I came away feeling good about my employer for organizing the event and donating to a good cause.

Thank God for them !!!! Kindd, wonderful caring organization, They provide the help families need.read more

Second Harvest no longer exists in NE Florida as of 2014. Farm Share, another food bank, is now…read moreesatblished at the same site.

Adorable animals in here and bigger than I thought it was going to be! I love how you can pet the…read moreanimals. A lot of dogs!!

Do not come here. I…read moreadopted a 2 month old kitten from here. The day I met him, he was fearful but otherwise seemed healthy. The one thing that stood out was how visibly dirty he was. His fur was matted with grime and dirt. He was a stray, so I assumed he would be cleaned before being sent home with an adopter. I was told to come back in two days because he needed to be neutered. Two days later, I returned to pick him up. While waiting, I sat in front of his cage and watched him throw up. He looked extremely sick. I informed the front desk and decided to come back later. The shelter was closed the next day, so I returned the following morning. He looked even weaker and visibly ill. I assumed he was simply recovering from surgery. I have cared for cats after surgery before and know what normal recovery looks like. What I could not understand was why he was still filthy. He looked exactly as dirty as the day I first met him. He also had a known flea problem, yet he looked like he had gone through the entire process without ever being properly prepared for adoption. Seeing him in that condition did not make me feel confident that he was receiving the care I was told he was getting. I was assured the fleas were not a concern and that he was a perfectly healthy kitten who had received all necessary vaccinations and care. I was sent home with him that day. The next morning, my house was infested with fleas. Not a few fleas. They were everywhere. He was constantly itching and being bitten. I found fleas in my kitchen, bathrooms, bedroom, and even my car. I had to treat my entire home while caring for a recently neutered kitten who could not be bathed normally. He suffered because of a problem I was told was not an issue. Within two days of bringing him home, everything went downhill. He stopped eating. Then he stopped drinking. Then he stopped moving. He would stand unsteadily, lower his head toward the ground, and remain there completely unresponsive. I remembered being told to bring him back if anything went wrong after surgery, so I did exactly that. Instead of receiving help, I was told these issues were not pre-existing conditions and that I needed to take him to a veterinarian. So I did. The veterinarian was appalled that he had been allowed to go home. The exam revealed a 104 degree fever, severe dehydration, infection, mild anemia, and neurological symptoms, including seizures. Seizures. In a 2 month old kitten I had adopted less than a week earlier. I spent $255 on the exam and bloodwork alone, and he needed even more treatment than I could provide. That not including the 30 dollar flea treatment for my home and the Capstar medication worth 43 that I bought. This should never have happened. When I brought the veterinary records back to the shelter, I expected concern, accountability, or at least an explanation. Instead, I got excuses. The person assigned to speak with me repeatedly explained that she was not a veterinarian and could not answer many of the medical questions I was asking. That left me wondering why she was handling a complaint involving a critically ill kitten who had just been adopted out. The final conversation left me disgusted. I was told I could either pay for treatment myself or surrender him. I chose to surrender him because he clearly needed more medical care than I could provide. Almost immediately after signing the paperwork, I was told, "Just so you know, if we can't help him, we're going to euthanize him." I had spent the previous week trying to save this kitten, paying veterinary bills and treating my home for fleas, only to be told that surrendering him might mean he dies. When I asked why he had been sent home with me in the first place, I was told they did not have the neurological resources necessary to identify conditions they could not immediately see. I could have been told he needed additional monitoring before being adopted out. Instead, he was sent home while suffering from anemia, infection, dehydration, fleas, and seizures. I was also told it was better for him to be in my home because the shelter had too many animals to closely monitor them all. That statement alone says everything. He was adopted out before anyone knew or bothered to find out how serious his condition was. Anemia. Fleas. Dehydration. Infection. Seizures. What a memorable adoption experience. Instead of focusing on moving as many animals through the system as possible, make sure the animals being adopted are healthy enough to survive the process. The lack of concern shown throughout this entire situation was shocking. Disgusting disregard and recklessness of the wellbeing of a helpless animal. I have attached photos from the day I brought him home and videos from my final day with him. Yes they're unnecessary and should be private, but words alone do not show what me and the poor guy had to go through. My boy deserved better. "Humane society." How ironic.

amazing experience. i enjoy everything they do. i appreciate groups like this stepping up in my…read morecommunity.

Steffani Fletcher is the Founder and Executive Director of Hope At Hand. She and her organization…read moredo wonderful things for the young adults of Northeast Florida through their incredible poetry/art therapy programs. They also run the Blackout Poetry Workshops at downtown Chamblin's Uptown Bookshop which is lots of fun (well, it's been on hiatus during the pandemic, but hopefully will be back in 2021 at some point). I have known Steffani for several years now and she supports the poetry group I am involved with, North Florida Poetry Hub. We just love how committed she is to her mission of helping people. This is a great organization! their website is: www.hopeathand.org