A Quaker owned retreat center outside of Philly …read more.. I came for a holistic nurses retreat for a four day session- also slept here for 3 nights. Our conference meeting center was at Brinton house - on one side of the campus. I also stayed overnight in Britton House as well . Some others stayed at Firbank on the other side of the campus near the main house Main house is where the meals are served There is a path that circles around the campus approximately a mile around that is nice to take . You can see key features like the Beech Tree, a tower, organic garden, wetlands etc Lots of lovely flowers , tree species and insects to see - like bees and butterflies. This place is great if you are into biology and studying trees etc . It's a nice retreat place . Quiet , peaceful and delicious organic food There are no TVs which is nice to detox . There is WiFi if you need to connect but I did a social media detox while I was there It is a scent free facility as well - no candles , perfumes , sprays etc Rooms or dorm style or you have a private room. Rooms are rustic and no frills but clean. They provide linens and towels . Pillows were very flat and bed can be at times uncomfortable. Yoga and stretching helped me . Although I liked my shared room with a private bathroom - the wood floor was noisy - made noise with every step. I saw others with carpet floor . But I liked the view from my room and the desk inside was nice. Meals were at set times Breakfast 730-830 Lunch 12-1pm Dinner 6-7pm They had chicken/poultry/ fish option as well As vegetarian and vegan and gluten free options Bug spray is needed for walks especially in summer - hot and humid days . They have an art room with small donations if you use the space There is a library but I didn't go They have an organic Garden and a small grass labyrinth I liked the wetland pond area near Brinton house - so pretty . The path is a wood chipped path for most of the path- some of it is gravel. And the path is slightly confusing in a few areas but you figure it out.it appears larger in the map than what it really is

Short version: it's like a contemplative year-round summer camp for grownups, only the food is…read morereally good. Insanely long version: Last month, after wrapping up a few very stressful months on a difficult job, I was at a sort of crossroads in my life. I was looking for somewhere to go where I could clear my head, relax, and spend a few days living simply and reflecting on what was really important to me. Some people might go camping at a time like this, but I don't have a tent or a sleeping bag, and it's cold out, and long periods of solitude don't really agree with me. Also I'm small and clumsy, and could not likely defend myself effectively against a bear. What to do? Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered hearing about Pendle Hill. It's a Quaker retreat and study center, so I must have heard of it at some point while at my Quaker school. I looked at their website and decided to check it out for a couple of days-- not a huge investment at $75 a night. My two-night stay turned into a six-night stay, which turned into a decision to live at Pendle Hill for a ten-week term as a student. I am head-over-heels in love with this place. You might not have the time or the inclination to spend ten weeks there, but below is a list of reasons why you should come check it out for a day or two. (They also have all sorts of cool weekend workshops on topics related to mindfulness, social justice, racism, peace, etc., which would be an ideal way to become acquainted with Pendle Hill.) -The food. Maybe I shouldn't start with that, but this is Yelp, after all. And it's SO GOOD. There's an organic garden and a whole bunch of chickens on the grounds, and everything is as fresh as can be. They even make the bread from scratch. I was asked when I made my initial reservation whether I had any dietary restrictions, and when I arrived at dinner the chef introduced himself and showed me which items were dairy-, egg-, fish-, and wheat-free. -The people. The people and the food are linked closely in my mind, because mealtimes are a warm, communal affair. You serve yourself and then sit with others at one of a few little tables. Everyone there is incredibly nice to newcomers. I walked in to dinner with that anxious new-kid-in-the-school-cafeteria feeling, and walked out having made four or five cool new friends (ranging in age between about 25 and 75) who made me feel right at home. (I need a lot of human interaction to keep me happy, but it's just as easy to have a more solitary experience there if that's your thing.) -The art studio. It's so cool. It's open 24 hours a day, during some of which it is flooded with sunlight, and you can just go in and play! Or you can take one of their art classes. They've got all the tools and supplies you could imagine for drawing, painting, sketching, calligraphy, sewing, quilting, knitting, book-binding, pottery, and weaving, and I'm sure I've left out a bunch of things. There's also a wood shop that I hear is great, but my dust allergies kept me out of there. -The grounds. The campus is beautiful-- old stone buildings, a lovely path through the woods, the aforementioned organic garden, and all sorts of little quiet places to think-- wooden tucked away behind a stand of trees and the like. -The library and the bookstore (see my review of the latter). Tons of books, on Quakerism of course, but also on Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and other religions; nature and ecology; social justice and activism; history; psychology; and on and on but this review is already way too long. The library is a beautiful place to sit and read or write. -The values. I'm almost hesitant sometimes to use the word "values" because it has been so coopted by the religious right, but I won't cede it to them. Quakers believe in simplicity, peace, and tolerance, among other things. You will find Jews, Catholics, Muslims, and Buddhists there; people of all sexual orientations; people who speak all different languages. Writers, readers, artists, musicians, social workers, activists, students, and people trying to figure out who and what they are, rake leaves and scrub pots together to keep the community running. Upon rereading this, I realize I might have made it-- and me-- sound rather cultish. It's not, and I'm not; I'm just still really excited. Come visit for a weekend to write or read or think or walk or be, and see for yourself.

I volunteer weekly and have found the members put a lot of heart and time into helping families in…read moreour community. The smiles and conversation passed back and forth amongst those packaging or receiving warms the heart and soul of all. John S.

Alert!!! under new management and went from exceptional to trash overnight! The new management…read moredoesn't care and doesn't have a clue how to run a food pantry. They are only concerned with getting financial donations! The food I got under new management was poor quality basically someone's trash. Expired food, moldy stale bread, un marked tin cans, and repackaged raw meat with no labels. one client showed me a rodent had chewed on the corner of a food box - she said be careful to me. Oh even more disgusting is The leadership was rude and condescending to many other clients, treated a handful like they were trash! It disgusted me to witness . The former director Paul truly cared! Now it's just a nasty place! Wow they don't run things orderly anymore. It was chaos in line. The new director clueless Mikey and the other leadership team were standing around - the director was talking down to while ordering a very elderly volunteer around! Yikes - you could see the stress and anger flowing from Mikey. I believe that old guy quit that night. Hostile Hostile Hostile - So much so I couldn't stay a second day in such a hostile place. One of the volunteers, an older crass woman, was making racist remarks as some of the clients of color were exiting. It was soo sickening it hurt deeply I just left. I didn't want to be anywhere around that place. I'm in need and I left hungry. I will never go back to that location. I hear the church is suing Paul personally for $50,000.00 plus and all for their own chaos - it's clear to me who is causing problem! It is soo sickening to hear of the church's unthinkable actions against Paul!!! It is well known he has volunteered there for at least 25yrs - that action against him alone shows they only care about money.All the rest I've commented on only reinforced that thought in my mind. I bet they are drinking the food banks cash flow dry Their own little or not so little piggy bank. Any way you slice it - it smells!

I met with the financial counselor, Mr. Chris Rahemtulla to go over my credit and it has been a big…read morehelp. I started working with Mr. Chris for two months and I have seen my score go up 37 points. He helped me get some old accounts removed from my credit reports. He helped me understand my credit report and how I could move forward. I was denied a job because of my credit so I really wanted to get it better. I think I'm on the right track now. Mr. Chris also helped me create a budget and open a savings account with a credit union. He's very encouraging and helpful. All the services are free too so if anyone needs financial help they should give him a call. For free assistance, it was way better than I expected.

We just held our son's 3rd birthday party here. Beautiful space, and a terrific interactive…read moreprogram composed of music, art, dance and dramatic play led by an amazing teaching artist. The children all had a wonderful time. You just bring your own food/paper products, show up, and let the magic happen! Nice alternative to the usual indoor party places.

This place recently relocated to 101 Plush Mills rd in Wallingford PA in an old school building…read more While the staff and activities deserve four or five stars, the new location only deserves one, if any stars at all. The Wallingford location is old and run down. When you walk into the building you are met by an intense and pungent smell of mold, so anyone with allergies to mold should stay away. Next, the place looks like it has not been cleaned the past ten years. It is outright disgusting. Floors are covered in a thick layer of dirt and dust. Disgusting when the kids were encouraged to have bare feet. There is a play area with toys with an old shag rug and toys covered in dirt, dust and old hair. These include even toys for infants who mouth everything. So in a place like this with several events every day and a ton of kids touching and mouthing the toys, they should really be washed every day. Not every year! To the owners: Seriously - clean this place up so it can be fit for kids! And get rid of the mold, so you won't end up with a visiting allergy kid having a severe asthma attack!

They got lots of good people and food options. The helpers…read moreare really nice kids and adults. My husband volunteers when he can. He has unloaded trucks for them on Tuesdays. Greatful for this service!

Today was my first visit to Loaves & Fishes at the Prospect Park PA location and the people could…read morenot have been any nicer. Very organized and clean. I also met some very nice people waiting in line and had fun talking. And the amount of food I was given, I feel so blessed. A weight was lifted off of my chest. Thank you to all and the nice people that helped me to my car!