Compassionate rescue that goes above and beyond for some of the hardest cases....including a dog…read morethat gave birth this morning and had adopted three orphaned puppies as well! I work to organize transport to them for some of our NC dogs who are out of options, and it's wonderful to see them get prompt vet care and move on to happy homes!

My husband & I have adopted two cats & a pup for HFL in the last year, but unfortunately we will…read morenever go back. Not because I think they're cruel to the animals but because i literally never have a pleasant experience. last week was our first puppy experience & was a tad stressful. I know I overthink pretty much everything when it comes to our fur babies but HFL was extremely unresponsive about any questions I emailed/texted prior to adoption when we had her as a quarantine and honestly, this experience with them sucked. The last few days prior to adoption I just didn't reach out at all because they didn't answer me ever.. Took me like four days to even find out if she was on heartworm preventative (i literally emailed/texted 20 times or something crazy about little different things like bumps on her ears, shots.. without any type of acknowledgment).. i know these things could be nothing but just a " hey that seems fine" or " those bumps are new keep an eye on them and let us know " or " how is she doing" super frustrating. I acknowledge, respect and appreciate what they do at HFL & I know they're a small shelter.. just think there is a disconnect amongst staff concerning foster/adopters & organization/communication. My experience was topped off by some of the staff members that are consistently unpleasant. I've had very few experiences where I actually walk away and think "what an enjoyable visit". When I went in to sign foster paperwork, one of their staff members raised her voice at an adopter about a shot. Wasn't necessary the adopter was asking questions not arguing. There was some sort of disconnected~aka information not relayed till day of adoption. I just think some of them need a reminder that you can talk to people calmly & respectfully. Not every adopter is looking to argue with you or call you/the shelter incompetent. I commend any facility that aims to protect/save animals. It's brave and beautiful.. However, the adoption day of our pup was ruined because someone made us feel significantly uncomfortable. A staff member, Nicole, went to give our puppy a shot & was pretty aggressive w/ my husband. Very big ego when he gave her literally no logical explanation to get triggered. Flip a coin on what the reason was either she's had one to many negative experiences with people being rude to her & got defensive OR she truly was deeply offended and took my husbands asking if a table was clean as a personal attack on her character/the shelter. Pretty much ruined the adoption experience for us tho. We followed the shelter on social media and we noticed that one of their dogs had parvo the day prior and since our puppy isn't fully vaccinated we originally didn't even want to bring her in but she was due for a shot and we wanted her protected as soon as possible, so we took her in a stroller. Even if we did not see the shelter had a Parvo case, we would still be overly cautious about our 3 month old PUPPY whom is at risk.. . My husband thought she'd get her shot in her stroller but she said no for that (w/a attitude btw) but also fine she wouldn't do it, we weren't about to fight over it. Then my husband said " Oh okay, is everything wiped down back there " in a very calm tone.. just being a scared/worried dog owner. She SNAPS at him and goes " don't talk to me like that I do this for a living" ... big attitude & tone shift... talk to you like what?? asking if our unvaccinated pup will be in a clean/safe environment? sorry but shouldn't you be happy that we care so much about our puppy to even ask? He wasn't deeming you/the shelter incapable.. he was just worried for our dog. He not once gave you an attitude. There are a few staff members who need a professionalism & customer service course ASAP because they are reactive & scaring good people off. I cannot stand unjustified mean/nasty behavior. There is literally zero place when it's okay to talk to another human poorly unprovoked.. just kinda ruined my adoption experience & made me super sad. Her coworker, Tracy, the one who was actually helping us complete the adoption was incredible. She is extremely sweet & kind. When Nicole was snappy with my husband, she stepped in and informed us that everything was cleaned before/after an animal is cared for. And that the shelter cleanliness very seriously. So thank you to her for calming our worries and understanding we were just scared!! The same goes for Noriko & Courtney. Both always extremely kind with a warm disposition whenever we go in.

I don't have a lot to say about this Y other than I'm disappointed. Not in the awesome staff but in…read morethe leadership that has failed and underserved this affluent area of Virginia Beach. This location is known as the geriatric YMCA as many members are retired and older. What is really needed is most likely not in the budget. They need significant upgrades, or best yet a complete new build out and expansion serving the Hilltop community. Parking is often an issue close, but there is a nearby lot. Most of my experience is with their five lane pool. It's maintained to minimum standards. Guards are on duty. They keep the deck for the most part clean. The chlorine is kept at correct levels when I have been there. It's just old and outdated. Hampton Roads has a severe pool shortage, so this is better than nothing. The locker rooms severely lack basics. This location does offer considerable green space which is unique. They have soccer and other youth sports for daycare. During the Summer the fiend is very active with programing. I hope that 2020 brings plans to do something with the Hilltop YMCA. There is a lot of competition that does the exact same thing in the general area. They need to act on doing anything to help this center. 2.5 rounding down.

Come check it out. While much smaller than some of the other local YMCA locations, the Hilltop…read moreFamily YMCA still has plenty to offer. They have a spin room with about 11 bikes, and they plan to upgrade the room to accommodate MyZone tracking in the near future. The cardio weight room is intimate but never felt overcrowded. This location has one room for the treadmills, ellipticals, cardio equipment and weight equipment. There is one stair stepper machine. The have a room dedicated to physical therapy type exercises. There is a gym. There is one room for the classes like Zumba, yoga, boot camp, stretch & tone etc. you may also enjoy the sauna or heated pool. This location seems to be very much kid and family oriented which I think many will like. I definitely think this because there are several rooms/spaces dedicated to the youth. Women's locker room in ever visit. Frank at the front was really helpful and full of information. I am grateful for his insight and the helpful information shared. Unlike most stand alone YMCA's this one exists in a shopping center. No cafe or juice bar inside. But food, juice bars, clean eats and Coffee bars are located in the shopping center.

Great little cat rescue -- we adopted two bonded kittens and are very happy with them!!! Everyone…read morewas friendly and the process was fast and easy

Our daughter had a wonderful time visiting this facility, we worked with Belle and she was so…read moreknowledgeable and informative. Thank you little Roar.

Since there are so few programs like this in Virginia Beach I would call it a unique outreach for…read morethe Virgina Beach Oceanfront. My experience with Judeo has been through meals being served in their on site dining hall. Today I was with Girl Scout Troop 13 which my daughter is a member. They prepared and served chili, cornbread, salad and a dessert to around 50 men, women and even a few children. The residents and walk-ins showed their appreciation. The organization started in 1986 due to a growing need to serve meals to the homeless. Christian groups pulled together a daily meal that soon expanded. In 1990 with private funds a property was purchased to operate a food kitchen dining hall named after Frank Bragg an early supporter of the mission. Later resident quarters were added. They now have partners like the Girl Scouts and religious organizations that total over a hundred. The partners assist with serving 86,000 FREE meals 365 days a year. The JCOC also operates a food pantry and food box program for at risk homeless to receive free groceries. There are 50 residents that reside short term on the campus. There other facility on West Lane offers a transitional housing program for 16 veterans and 8 chronically homeless with a disability. The JCOC offers a second chance to people in crisis. They provide individual and group counseling, employment services, financial assistance and housing assistance and educational resources. The mission "to empower homeless families and individuals to recover from crisis situations and and return to being self supportive, productive and independent members of our community". A few negatives to keep it real. The campus could use a sprucing up and parking is almost non-existent. Non residents also are seen across the street camping out in a vacant lot. The city does not run them off and as far as I know they are not causing any problems, but it is an eye sore. If you are able to help in any capacity through your church, or directly reaching out you are helping the local Virgina Beach community. They accept cash donations through their website as well at jcoc@jcoc.org

We have used JCOC on two separate ocassions to donate items collected through our community…read moremembers. They accept non-perishable food items and other kitchen supplies for their food pantry, kitchen and dining hall. They also accept gently used clothes, shoes and other household donations. JCOC serves breakfast and dinner everyday to the needy and homeless people of the community. Sometimes, these breakfasts and dinners are prepared by different volunteers and organizations. They also have a building at the premise where they house limited number of needy people. Overall, I think JCOC is doing a good job of providing food and other services to the needy people of our community.

The volunteers at R14 are always ready and willing to help. From standbys, to emergencies, to…read morecommunity knowledge development, VBVRS does a fantastic job.

The members of squad 14 are awesome! They always do their best -- and they are FREE!read more

This is a pretty large, clean and well-stocked Goodwill store…read more Staff are friendly and they are always turning over a ton of things. It's in an affluent part of the beach and they have a covered/pull-up drive-through drop off for donations so it's always crazy busy with people dropping off nice things.

One of my go to thrift stores when I am in the area. Always so clean and I find some great finds…read morehere.