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.

A positive venue of social services that has helped many…read more residents of the tenderloin community for many years Also we (advocates of the ADA/elderly )have observed an increase of accomodation and compassion that run neck and neck with a tasty and diverse breakfast that's served daily.And last but not least, we mustn't forget all the hard work that's put in by Walt and his laundrycrew. Most appeciatively; Michael Bess and compassion.

Best place to donate men's clothing and know they're going where needed most. The donation process…read moreis a little complicated in that the street is actually closed to traffic. Someone at the head of the block will move the barrier and let you pass. Then you drive up to the building and if necessary someone will roll out a giant cart (like the kind you see laundry in a a big hotel) to help unload your car. Then you can feel like you did a good thing!

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!

Where to start?! There are just so many positive things anyone who's been to or been a part of the…read moremany programs can say! First: Donaldina Cameron House is a faith-based organization. I grew up going to their summer day camp program (Cameron Ventures), which entailed daily trips to Golden Gate Park with the occasional overnight or day trip to a theme park or other cool place around the Bay Area. From 5-7th grade I was a participant in this program. There are so many memories that I've taken away from it and have learned a lot! While the Christian faith is obvious with this program, Christianity is never pushed onto anybody. I didn't grow up with any faith, but made a personal choice later on down the line. Through the Cameron Ventures program, I've forged lifelong friendships. Once in high school, you would become a volunteer leader for the younger kids. For 5 summers I took on this role and saw myself grow exponentially each and every summer. Not only were my social skills improving, but I was learning great leadership skills, communication, teamwork, and planning....LOTS AND LOTS OF PLANNING! From 6th-12th grade I participated in their Friday night youth fellowship program, which allowed me to meet with guys and girls in my age group every week and pretty much.....just hang out! Activities were planned for us by our "leader," who was a college-aged or older mentor. My leaders became really great friends of mine over the years and I can give a lot of credit of who I've become to them. Once in highschool, my peers and I were the ones doing the activity planning. This was where we had to be creative because we were planning activities over a 3 hour period each week for about 15 to sometimes 30 guys and girls our age. These were some of the most fun times in my life! There's really no way to give you my entire testimonial through this Yelp review because the lifetime effects are clear. The people that I've met are my brothers and sisters. You form bonds with people and that can't be replaced. At Cameron House, we have a ton of fun! Often laughing until I'm about to pee in my pants or until I've gotten a full ab workout from laughing too much. If you're at all interested in at least seeing what they have to offer, check out the website! So much good has come out of this organization! http://www.cameronhouse.org/ Shout out to my commission! S.A.C.R.E.D. 4 LIFE!!!

The cost of the Cameron House daycamp this summer was $525 for 6 weeks of full day camp. (This is…read morea great deal considering that YMCA will set you $40 a day!) This is my son's first year and he is having a great time doing meaningful things. The kids are divided into small groups by grade, groups are then lead by high school age volunteers. This is not fancy camp where they are going to water parks and movies everyday..Rather they are exploring vaious parts of the city (and mostly by Muni). My son who rarely takes the bus and is pleasantly surprised by his new found independence. The campers participant in a community service project once a week- such as performing at the Self Help for the Elderly, sorting food at the Food Bank, clean-up of an alley way in Chinatown, etc. Cameron House is a Christian based program but my son has not been pushed to attend Church.

Great place to get a bowl of soup. Especially if you like being served by a bunch of virtue…read moresignaling liberal white people with a guilt complex who loathe the folks who go there to eat. I thanked k one volunteer for my plate of food then for her to reply " what's wrong?" I​ pointed out the customary response is usually you're welcome. Her true disdain and disgust for me was evident.Much love to Charlie.

Lionbear n" n' " Brenda Prty date again :)!. We had soup and a yummy orange chocolat chocolate…read morebrownie, pretty good bread and water too for free during this season weatherwise, in 2024. Thanks :].!

It feels so great to be able to help others. I recently discovered City Team SF when I was…read moresearching for NPOs to volunteer with. Many of the food banks are really popular and their times are booked really fast. I noticed City Team had almost all their slots still available the week of, so I created an account and went in this past Saturday. Kimbel is one of the guys who runs City Team SF and he's amazing! My volunteer hour was 9am - 11am, helping serve breakfast and packing to-go orders for those that wanted to take it with them. The work they do here is incredible, they provide breakfast, lunch and dinner M-Sat and they allow people to eat as much as they want. They also have a rack of clothes in the back for people to choose from. I think living in SF, we've seen how bad the homeless issue has become and certainly have our own share of opinions and feelings about it. However volunteering at City Team has really gave me a new perspective, just giving your time and being kind to others really makes a difference in their day. I will definitely come back again, this was a great place to volunteer at, great people I've met. Also, if you have clothes you no longer have use for, you can drop them off here!

After having volunteered for last night's dinner service I can say they have a pretty well run…read moreorganization for feeding the homeless and down and out. Dinner was mashed potatoes ( including the skins ) with a chili mixture topping served with salad. Before dinner they had some musical entertainment and sung some Christian songs. A couple of prayers were thrown in., Also there was a analysis of some scriptures from the bible involving the good samaritan. The mashed potatoes were almost totally consumed and the chili was tasty ( I sneaked a sample after everyone was served ). The salad was appealing and healthy looking. It's nice to volunteer and serve the community. 3 stars for the food. I was surprised by the quality !

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.

Have you ever thought of giving yourself the gift of "Humility?"…read more In a society overrun by materialism, we often forget about those who lack the basic necessities just to survive on a daily basis. I will admit that I use to be one of those offenders, you know the ones who see a homeless/less fortunate person and say, "Awwww, I feel sorry for him/her..." then turn a blind eye. As obvious as it may seem (yet we tend to ignore), feeling sorry for someone isn't going to help them unless you proactively help to change the situation. One day, I had an epiphany and felt like something was missing in my life. This is where One Brick came into my life to help fill in the gap. I've wanted to volunteer for a while now but with a busy work and social schedule, I couldn't commit for 6 months and 3-4 hours a week like many organizations require. After searching on Yelp, I came across One Brick, a non-profit organization that makes volunteering easy with NO long-term commitment. (Thanks, Sam T. for giving me more insight about One Brick and making my decision much easier!) SIGNING UP FOR A VOLUNTEERING EVENT 1) Create a One Brick account, which takes less than 2 minutes. 2) Go to the Calendar and choose from a number of volunteering opportunities: prepping supplies, food repackaging, food distribution, park clean-ups and gardening are among some of the examples. Each event has a description of what you will be doing and what to wear (*ahem* Ladies, NO stilettos! Lol!). 3) Once you find an event that tickles your fancy, you RSVP on the website. You can set a reminder to be emailed to you up to 7 days before the event. If you can't attend, you can always cancel. 4) Most events last for 2-3 hours with an option to go to lunch or dinner with other volunteers afterwards. MY VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE It's been a month since joining One Brick and so far I've volunteered at two events (with more to come): *Food Distribution to Families at the Mission Bay Community Church: http://ecfoodpantry.missionbaycc.org/. *Supply Prep for the Homeless At The Crossroads: http://atthecrossroads.org/. Before starting each event, you check-in with a volunteer manager(s), get a name tag and there is a short intro of the organization, as well as, the other volunteers. I love that the managers explains HOW your individual efforts contributes to the overall efforts of the organization and HOW it will help those individuals/families in need. They even provide drinks and snacks for the volunteers! Thus far, none of the work was strenuous by any means. For the food distribution, we had to open boxes, organize, and hand out food items (e.g. rice, soup, veggies, etc.) to Excelsior families in need. And, for the supply prep, there were 5 stations: candy packing, toiletry packing, folding scarves, hanging up coats and sweaters and cleaning supplies. On a first come basis, you get to choose what station you want to work at (I choose to pack candy). The managers and all the other volunteers are very friendly and take the initiative to get to know you. Being able to socialize while performing our tasks made the time fly by quickly. In addition, it was refreshing to socialize with people out of work and the nightlife scene. With only two volunteer events under my belt, it has been a very humbling experience to say the least. To see those who are less fortunate and the smile you put on their faces has truly been life changing. Although physical gifts are nice, nothing exceeds the intrinsic reward you get when you know YOU are making a difference in HUMAN LIVES! I can't say enough, how I HIGHLY recommend One Brick as an avenue to begin volunteer work. In just 2-3 hours of your time, you can improve the quality of life for others, extend your social network and give yourself the gift of a humble heart. Without the help of volunteers, One Brick and other organizations would NOT be able to do what they do. So, as we are approaching a new year, why not start it off right by GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ONE DAY AT A TIME...all that's required is a SMILE and a HELPING HAND! :)

My Fellow Chicagoans may not know too much about One Brick. I met some One Brickers while…read morevolunteering to clean up Humboldt Park on Earth Day and they seemed like a nice friendly lot. Plus, they went for food and drinks afterward and invited me along, it's like Yelp +Volunteering! So it seems a perfect match to push their cause here. It took me a while to volunteer after that initial meet, but it was so easy! You can sign up on their email list and register directly from there or go to their website and do it. My event last week was cooking for the Lincoln Park Community Shelter. One Brick brought about 12 people together that chipped in for the food, the organizer made up the menu and brought the groceries and put us to work! I had no idea I could fry up 30 breasts of chicken in an hour but call me Mel I guess! "Order up Dingbat!" The volunteers did range from the experienced (100+ events done) to the novice (me and another), but we were made to feel welcomed and there was no snobbery or lack of getting to know people. There's such a variety of volunteer opportunities and you can sign up whenever you want and not feel pressured.There are also Social Events (hello Yelpers) where One Brickers meet to drink and socialize and perhaps rally around a cause like bringing school supplies for needy kids. I'll definitely volunteer with them again. (Getting down from my Soap Box now so you may climb up!)