Ruth Brinker started Project Open Hand in 1985 to provide meals to neighbors suffering from AIDS…read more Seven neighbors receiving food made with love became her mission where people with AIDS, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses as well as the elderly now receive meals and groceries. Seeing my son's ample free time one summer and the need for volunteers, I signed up my son for 10-15 hours a week. After school started, he continued volunteering 3 hours a week, filling in shifts as needed during breaks including holidays. It's not glamorous work, weighing and vacuum sealing beans, rice, chicken and other groceries, but it's important work: I emphasize that people rely on him to receive nutritious food they might not otherwise have. Giving back, caring about people, making time for others less fortunate, being selfless- these are qualities I've instilled in my son. He now enjoys the work, it feeds his soul. I'm proud he volunteers weekly for Project Open Hand for almost two years.

Here is a gem of a org that doesn't boast enough of its amazing work! they strive to provide some…read moreof the healthiest meals in the community. Big difference from the other non-profit food providers. The times that I have volunteered there, you get a sense that the employees really are passionate about their work.

The ear-to-ear smiles on the two little girls' faces spoke volumes and made me so glad to be there…read moreto scoop up some macaroni and cheese and put it on their plates. To see the little boy's eyes light up upon being given a freshly iced vanilla cupcake brought a smile to my face and warmth in my heart. Last weekend I had the privilege of working side by side with a dedicated group of volunteers in setting up, decorating and putting on the Homeless Prenatal Program's annual Holiday Party for low income and homeless families in San Francisco. The dedicated staff at San Francisco's Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP) work with some of the poorest families in the City in motivating parents to try to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for the sake of themselves and their children. By offering services such as parental counseling, substance abuse rehabilitation, mental health counseling, immigration support, job training resources, family violence therapy and housing assistance HPP helps parents and their children deal with everyday problems in an attempt to build trust within their community and motivate them to improve their lives and their family's well-being. With the simple goal of trying to put a smile on the face of somebody who might not have much to smile about the entire HPP staff cooks up an incredible Christmas luncheon each year to share with the over 150 families who rely on HPP's services. In addition to the fabulous holiday feast all children attending the party receive a wrapped book and every family is given an opportunity to pose and take home a family photo with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. This year individual volunteers along with volunteers organized by One Brick and The Junior League helped to transform a plain assembly room donated by the Old First Presbyterian Church on Sacramento Street and Van Ness Avenue into a festive holiday party hall. With the use of colorful ribbons, colored paper, Christmas lights and assorted ornaments we created a room that screamed out "HOLIDAY"! The more creative volunteers transformed ordinary ribbons into decorative bows while less creative individuals such as myself helped to create hundreds of helium-filled balloons for the kids. Volunteers and HPP staff wrapped hundreds of donated children's books and categorized them by the intended ages, and The Junior League's volunteers set up an art room where parents and their children could go in and create beautiful holiday images to take home. The rest of us grabbed a spot along the food server stations to help serve the homemade feast consisting of turkey, ham, stuffing, rice, vegetables, salads, tortillas with rice and beans, macaroni and cheese and the most incredible dessert table I've ever witnessed created entirely by two dedicated sisters who volunteer their services annually. It was an event I won't soon forget. I've posted some photos in the photos section. If you are interested in volunteering you may contact HPP's volunteer coordinator through the Homeless Prenatal Program website (http://www.homelessprenatal.org/).

The Homeless Prenatal Program has done great work for the community through their many programs…read more THIS is the organization I donate to because I know where the money is going... directly to the people who need it rather than to the staff who are supposed to be part of the services who don't show up. HPP don't irk me either because they're not folks that hide out, only to show up for photo opts! A lot of the clients are trained and end up working for the organization. If you're not sure if you want to donate to them, you could attend one of their wonderful open-house events (lots of food, you get to talk to the program people, and the clients whose lives they changed). Galvin Newsom and Danielle Steel were at one of the ones I attended! Check out their web site http://www.homelessprenatal.org/ P.S. I'm not giving them all those stars because of the chicken wings served at their event. Just look at their web site (made by volunteers - what dedication!) and compare it to other organizations and you'll come to the conclusion that HHP is organized and together!!!! Look at all the services they provide and the level of detail they go into on the site. You know they've gots to be reals.

Gracious, friendly, and helpful staff. They arranged a last minute ride for me with a volunteer,…read moreproviding required transportation to and from a hospital procedure. Very grateful for their help.

The mission of this organization is simple and clear - spend an hour of your time with a lonely…read moresenior and make a huge difference in their life! I have visited several different 'old friends', each more interesting than the next, but what I have enjoyed the most is making a connection with someone and being able to see them regularly. Little Brothers always needs volunteers and they have a great new website that is easy to navigate. You really do walk away from the volunteer experience with a huge grin on your face and a skip in your step. No one wants to grow older alone. I really felt like my time was well spent.

You know you want to volunteer. You know when someone asks you what you did this weekend, it would…read morebe cool to say, "I helped pack meals for the homebound for Project Open Hand" or "I helped with some cleanup at Literacy for Environmental Justice". But you don't feel like you have enough time. Hands On Bay Area is such a cool vehicle for volunteering without commitment. Sign up, show up, do your 2-3 hours and go home. And if you find a project you really love, you can volunteer every month (most are recurring) or contact the agency to become a regular volunteer. I do wish they had more things I could do with my very young girls. I want to raise them to enjoy volunteering, and most of these projects only welcome older children. But we did do a "With Seniors" visit and a good time was had by all. Our new elderly friend Dorothy really connected with my 5 year old daughter. Meet great people, give back to the community, have fun doing it.

**************** REVIEW 427 ******************…read more I've been with Hands on Bay Area when it was Community Impact in Mountain View in 1999. Hands on Bay Area offer volunteers many options of the volunteer opportunities that match their interests, such as: - Adult education and literacy, - Animal support, - Children & youth (- Enrichment and recreations, tutoring, etc) - Community enrichment, - Environment, - Heath & wellness, - Homelessness and Hungers, You can choose from location different counties such as: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marine, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, & Santa Clara Counties! HOBA has a great website, that user friendly, you can RSVP your project that fits you & they email you the info and also reminder for you! You don't need any skill to volunteer! Hands on Bay Area website makes it really easy to do it & if you are new, they will make you go to an orientation, but it's easy & you get to meet many wonderful hearts just like yourself! So lend a hand, make a different in your community!

I am a proud Spark board member! We definitely celebrate women who ignite global change…read more And we look to ignite that Spark in our very own local community through networking events, Cocktails for a Cause, Speaker Series and even our annual Black and Pink Ball! Built from the ground up by young women of vision and passion, Spark seeks to engage all y'all--Bay Area professionals who want to learn more about philanthropy and the lifestyle of giving. You don't have to be a 75-year-old billionaire to make a difference--just a few dollars RIGHT NOW can make all the difference to struggling women around the world. What can you do? --Visit our website! --Volunteer! --Join and become a member! --Attend an event! --Email us questions! --AND...you are cordially invited to Nightlife Napa Valley at City Hall on Thursday, March 13. Nightlife Napa Valley Thursday, March 13, 2008 6:30 - 9:30 PM City Hall 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place San Francisco, CA 94102 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/94425429 Website: http://sparksf.org/ $40 for Members; $50 in advance for Non-members; $60 door *Ooooh, now's a great time to join Spark and SAVE! :O * * * * * If you worship our stunning annual Black and Pink Ball, then you will adore Nightlife Napa Valley on Thursday, March 13th at San Francisco's City Hall. Join 500 Spark members as we enjoy an evening of sparkling conversation and wine tasting from over 80 premier wineries, while dancing the night away to 2006 Best of the Bay DJ Label on the turntables. The Napa Valley Vintners are generously hosting this wine tasting event, and all ticket proceeds will benefit Spark programming. Spark is an exciting young nonprofit dedicated to supporting grassroots women's organizations at home and around the world.

Spark has grown from a small grass-roots organization run by an incredible bunch of young motivated…read morewomen to a true bay area philanthropic institution. I am honored to know some of the women who started this group, and I am constantly amazed by what they have accomplished in such a short amount of time. The amount of time and effort they put into furthering worthy causes is humbling. The events these ladies put on range from the casual cocktail parties for a cause to all out galas that are worthy of the name. But they are always places to be seen. Why not have a night out on the town, help Spark, and in turn, help a great cause?!?! It's like win-win-win. Bruce Wayne would totally be a member and so should you!

Home Repair in the Bayview area of San Francisco. No construction experience necessary, repair is…read morean all day shift, and you can't choose what kind of work you are doing. We had a fun and exhausting day and had a great crew leader and coordinator that worked with the vibe of our group to make it the most optimal. Our group's task was primering the outside of a home and helping clean the inside. Painting the outside was definitely the craziest part, leaning huge 2 story ladders with the bottom being on an angled sidewalk and made true by jamming scrapwood underneath one leg and the top part leaning on a house that was falling apart. Our crew leader did it with such comfort and confidence it made us feel more confidant about the safety. It was cool to see how a primer layer improved the look of the home and made it feel refreshed. I also enjoyed helping clean the inside, not sharing pictures of those for privacy but it was one of the most interesting houses with amazing history I've ever been inside of. Thanks for the fun experience, it made the end of day beers that much better!

I've been on 3 different projects, 2 in Menlo Park (read East Palo Alto) and 1 in Daly City, the…read morecondo development. It's been a lot of fun. I like that they do the safety talk at the start of each day. Also they have safety equipment such as helmets, ear plugs, knee pads. The knee pads are "well used" but are good enough to do the trick. Really nice folks at every site. I'm one to ask a lot of questions, and everyone has been really patient in answering. It's a good volunteer environment. The work itself can be hard work! But it's satisfying, and I was able to take the breaks I needed. It's also fascinating to learn about home construction. I've put down a subfloor, removed old laminate and hardwood flooring, and put down pergo. Plus done some random demolition. I've also seen inside of lots of walls, and have a better sense of how homes were constructed in the 50's. yikes. BTW I learned something important about Habitat. They don't give away houses--they sell them to families at a % of family income over time (30 years?). Then if the family wants to sell, they sell BACK to Habitat, and then they can use their built-up equity to buy something else. The neat thing is that the Habitat system is focused on affordability and smooths out bubbles by basing on salary. (US gov't, are you listening?) Also families that buy from Habitat have to do 500 hours of volunteer work. It's good stuff.

I am really glad that I am a part of this organization. Asian Women's Shelter (AWS) is really…read moreperforming a wonderful service. For the past year and half I have been volunteering at AWS and it has really made a large impact in my life. As an Asian woman, I understand how difficult it is for other Asian women to stand up against their abusers due to a submissive culture. While I have been fortunate enough to be taught to think for myself and understand that I have limitless options, this is not the case for many of the women I meet at the shelter. As a volunteer, I am proud to have had the chance to help these women who were brave enough to stand up to their abusers and brave enough to start a new life. A majority of my volunteering has been with the children's program. This gave me the opportunity to work with the children of abuse victims and try to help them cope with their situations. Even if it was just a short escape from a turbulent home life, I hope that I was able to connect with the children and make a difference in their lives. Unfortunately, work has been getting in the way of volunteering with the children's program. But, those were definitely my most memorable experiences with AWS. The volunteer program at AWS is crucial to the organization. There is a nine week training program that all volunteers have to attend. That translates to a Saturday training that starts 9am-5pm. These trainings give volunteers greater insights into domestic violence and train us to better support the victims. After the training, the organization asks that volunteers commit to at least one year of volunteering. There are trainings bi-annually; and you must complete the training in order to become a volunteer. If you have a few extra hours in the day, please consider donating your time to AWS. It's a wonderful organization that is giving 110% back to this community and helping women empower themselves.

* ***…read more *** *** **** ***** ***** ***** ********* 8 ********* ********* 888 ********** ********** 8 ********** ++++++++++++++++++++++++ + ASIAN WOMEN SHELTER + ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanksgiving is coming up and I am feeling reflective today. I am thankful that this non-profit organization is available for women and children Even though, it reads Asian Women Shelter, it is open for all women and children who are in an abusive relationship. This haven gives support for women and children escaping violence who will have a place to heal and rebuild their lives. Beckie Masaki is the executive director who will be celebrating their 20th anniversary with their fund raising dinner in May 2008. On a personal note: Havens like Asian Women Shelter did not exist in my early years and I feel this is an important integral part of any community for our future growth. There are so many non-profs out there, i.e., museums, the arts, etc.,and unfortunately, this small haven is often bypassed. [The above graphic is my attempt of "Madonna and Child"]

Great seeing that food assistance is available for those in need living in the Outer Richmond…read more Fresh Eggs and Produce, plus bagged groceries. Registration might be required so check in for requirements, dates, and hours. I noticed the Food Bank team setting up on Tuesday, and on this date a volunteer advised that new participants could sign up after 3:30pm. But like I said, confirm current status of this location if living in the 94121 zip code.

They have been providing food at my building since the pandemic. I am grateful. Made my life…read morebetter. By fighting malnourishment, they are also fighting pandemic diseases!