I have been a member of the Felix Ventures Foundation since 2014; that is 10 years today. I…read moregraduated from WOHS in 2016. During my time as a venturer, I learned invaluable skills from being around other venturers, staff members, and especially from Felix Grossman himself. I owe my current success to the experiences I've had with Felix Ventures. The program was and always has been welcoming to all students from all backgrounds. The Felix Ventures Foundation provides so many opportunities for growth, especially in higher education. Plus, who doesn't love the outdoors? My fondest memories were during the camping and backpacking trips! After graduating from high school, I loved and believed in the program so much that I decided to come back and work for the program while I was pursuing my college degree. Although I no longer work for the program anymore, I am still an active member and supporter of the program, and I always will be. Those who have been involved in the program recognise, firsthand, the many opportunities that Felix Grossman has offered to the students at Workman High School and I hope the program continues to serve the community for many more years to come.

It's an amazing organization to go to know people and it's an incredible opportunity to engage.read more

Kidsave has been awful to us and has been a complete nightmare. Since my husband made the decision…read moreto leave the program in June and left a negative review retelling our terrible experience, Kidsave has not stopped harassing us. The director of Kidsave, Lauren Reicher-Gordon, posed as a county social worker to us on multiple occasions and was constantly rude to us. Every time we talked to her, she would talk over us or put us down and we put up with it because we thought that she was a county worker and that we'd be in trouble with the county if we stood up for ourselves. While misrepresenting herself as a county worker, Lauren gave us wrong information, threatened us with 'severe consequences' if we attended county Resource Family (foster/adopt) training and told my husband and I that we were "stealing someone else's spot" in training, as if we didn't have a right to be there. As she was telling us all this, I put the phone on speaker and allowed multiple witnesses (clients of ours) to overhear the entire conversation, so she couldn't deny it later. She then passively tried to extort money from us by claiming that we purchased $500 gala tickets (and I kept the emails 'thanking' us for our 'purchase', in case proof is needed). My husband (who is African American) and I attended two events with Kidsave, after which Lauren Reicher-Gordon made a note to rudely and repeatedly put down my husband's appearance (he was wearing gray jeans, casual button down blue shirt and a casual sport coat), telling him that he should wear a t-shirt and jeans instead. It was so disrespectful that we were floored. Funny how I (Caucasian) was dressed nicely, but she had nothing to say about MY clothing. My husband looked great and we can wear whatever the hell we want, thank you very much. Since my husband left his review, they've repeatedly harassed us via email until we blocked their email domain. Then they sent physical letters to our home threatening us and even had their lawyers threaten us with a lawsuit if he didn't take his review down. Since that time, they've had their own employees leave Kidsave fake positive reviews for months and repeatedly attack my husband's character in these reviews. At the same time, our business began receiving fake negative reviews, all from the same person, over that same span of time. My husband is one of the hardest working people I've ever known. When he's not working, all he does is help people. He coaches people with anxiety and depression online, he volunteers to mentor and teach kids and he's always there when people need him. He's never asked for praise or even thanks (in contrast to the weird praise that they give Lauren in the fake Kidsave reviews - jeez, narcissist much?) and he would be an amazing father. Things were quiet for a while until my husband and I put through an inquiry to adopt two children. Suddenly, one of Kidsave's volunteer employees, Christopher Means, leaves a fake positive review for Kidsave and starts badmouthing my husband in the first sentence. In fact, he put down my husband's clothes again! Why is Kidsave obsessed with my husband's clothes? Should I be jealous? Contain yourselves, people....Another volunteer named Destiny also left a review that was nearly identical to Christopher's, but without badmouthing my husband. At the same time, an employee of DCFS who works in the adoptions division then left Kidsave a five-star review at the same time. Completely unethical and a conflict of interest, but we are genuinely concerned that they may be attempting to disrupt placement of any kids in our home out of vengeance towards us. If the director decides that she likes you, you may have a great experience with Kidsave. Heck, don't take our word for it, read one of the glowing fake reviews written by their own employees. But ask yourself what kind of human being pretends to be a county social worker in order to feel important, blatantly condescends and discriminates against one of the nicest people on Earth and then spends months harassing that person to remove their review? Oh yeah, it's called a 'narcissist'. If you love Kidsave, great. If you want to worship the director and feed her narcissism, WE DON'T CARE. LEAVE OUR NAMES OUT OF YOUR CORNY SOUNDING REVIEWS and let us get on with our lives, you obsessive weirdos.

Kidsave is an amazing agency. I have volunteered with them through their Weekend Host Program and…read morethe experienced gained is worth a lot. They match you with older kids in the system that are looking for hosts. The goal as a volunteer is to promote adoption and to promote/expose your kid to families and individuals who might be interested in adopting. The agency gives you the necessary training and tools for that. They also have events where both you and the child get to do different activities. i.e. The Grammy Museum, beach activities, sports, etc. Your commitment is only twice a month. It doesn't really have to be the whole weekend, but it could be one day two times a month or simply as having dinner/lunch with your kid twice a month. Also, if you have been thinking about adopting a child and you are not sure if you are ready for it, this would be the perfect venue to get your "feet wet". You get to host a child and develop a relationship with him/her. You get to see first hand how the "system" works and with time you might be able to predict the needs of the child and see if you are ready to commit to adoption. If it doesn't work out, at least you made an impact on a child's life.

Thank you UniCamp for the most life changing experience ever. There is nothing like UCLA's Unicamp…read more@ Camp River Glen. Every year staff volunteer their time to bring hundreds of campers up to experience the great outdoors. Activities like hiking, climbing, canoeing, singing, arts/crafts, mountain biking, archery, campfires, and swimming are just a few of the many wonders experienced. Shout out to Blitzen, Lilo, Rose, Mr. Woooo, Sky, Silver Fox, Woli, Flareon, Tiny, Look Out Below, Mardi Gras, Black Wall Street, Honor, and too many to name... we are forever changed! Perfect place for youth, surrounded by complete Love, Care and the most DELICIOUS food this side of the mountain.! I hope all can enjoy this priceless experience. Always and Forever, TLC (Trust, Love, Communication) - Britanny The Village Session 2022, 2023...

Sing Songs Play Games…read moreChange Lives Spend a week here with no showers or electronics, while teaching kids from under served communities leadership skills, team work, effective communication, community service and at the same time. HAVING FUN. WHAT ELSE DO I NEED BEST EXPERIENCE EVER.

I'm a singer and there was a Celebration of life for a friend October 17th…read more It was a great place to have this Celebration of life party. Good size room for a couple hundred people. Beautiful big bar. Plenty of dance floor room. Nice stage. Very clean environment for a party and entertainment. I highly recommend the Elks Lodge 2050. Also ample amount of tables and chairs

I rented a portion of the lodge to have my mom's 90th birthday party. The guest list was around 120…read morepeople. During the planning stages,Denise was easy to talk to, plan and was quick to respond to any questions. She also provided helpful suggestions. After the decorations were in place the room transformed into more than I expected. The bartender was attentive and poured a good cocktail. For what was paid for the venue one would think you were being lowballed. Not at all. The cost doesn't come close to the perfection that was received. I would strongly recommend Westchester Elks Lodge for an event. BTW there is plenty of parking and a security guard that watches the cars...epic.

Coach K gave an awesome presentation at my kids' school and I was so impressed that I scheduled a…read moreconsultation with her. I bought a basic package with three sessions. That included coaching in between. I was able to text or e-mail Coach K with questions or problems and she always responded quickly and thoughtfully. I don't always agree with my husband on everything when it comes to parenting. Coach K helped me figure out how to draw certain boundaries with our kids while respecting the relationship he has with our boys. Coach K helped us tackle issues surrounding use of electronics, effective communication and chores among other things. Time spent with Coach K made such a positive difference in our family. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Coach K.

I reached out to Coach K about 3 months ago, right before virtual learning school was about to…read morestart because I knew this would be a challenge having 3 kids home all day and 2 of them doing virtual learning. I needed help with my patience, getting them to listen to me, fighting amongst siblings, me not loosing my temper ect. After the first call I just knew that she could help, I loved everything she had to say and it felt right. She held my hand and was always there for me over the last few months as I learned boundaries, learned how to be a loving leader and gave me the most amazing tools to parent with. I am so much more confident in my parenting, which makes me so much calmer and more peaceful with my kids. Our home environment is so much more harmonious. I could not be happier for Coach K's guidance. I believe she came into my life at the most perfect and much needed time! I am so grateful for her!

This review is long overdue, but I wanted to share how great this venue was. We rented the space…read morefor our daughter's first birthday party in January. Mary was our main contact and was incredibly helpful. She met with us twice before the event--once to show us the space and again the week before the party to walk through everything after we had booked. The venue is very spacious and can easily accommodate 150-200 guests. The website provides clear information about pricing, logistics, and floor plans, making the booking process straightforward. The location is fantastic--just a few blocks from the beach--with five reserved parking spaces right in front. It's a beautiful venue and a wonderful place to celebrate any occasion.

I held my masters graduation celebration here. I feel so lucky that I found this incredible woman's…read morecenter on Yelp. Michelle was incredible from start to finish. Very kind, patient ( I asked a lot of questions ), detailed & prompt. Gail was very helpful with our walkthrough of the center and checklist requirements. One thing to note is to be respectful of rules provided to maintain the space as well as the community, the beautiful center is in the middle of a residential area. So please be mindful of others and hold your guests accountable. Overall an incredible experience 10/10. I will definitely plan for other celebrations of life here.

Clean place great customer service great price fir hall awesome bartenders. Free parking Fast…read moreresponse to questions and very friendly

Super friendly welcoming group of people. Exceptionally inexpensive drinks. You must have an…read moreinterest in becoming a member.

Our family had an amazing experience at Piper Manhattan Beach. From the very first day, we felt at…read morehome, and that feeling only grew stronger throughout the year. It was our son's first--and ultimately his last--year of preschool, so we were all sad when it came to an end. Every day, our son came home excited to tell us what he had learned and how much fun he had with his teachers and friends. Seeing his enthusiasm and happiness each day gave us so much confidence that he was in the best possible environment. The entire staff is patient, kind, and attentive. They genuinely cared for our son as if he were part of their own family, and that is something we will never forget. We are incredibly grateful for the love, dedication, and care that everyone at Piper provides. We wholeheartedly recommend Piper Manhattan Beach to any family looking for a warm, nurturing, and exceptional preschool.

Piper Manhattan Beach is one of those rare places that feels truly special from the moment you…read morebecome part of it. Over the last two years, we've watched our son grow in ways that are hard to put into words. He comes home every day excited to tell us what he learned, the games he played, the questions he asked, the ideas he explored, and the friendships he's building. The confidence, curiosity, empathy, reasoning, and joy that he carries with him are so present in our daily lives, and we can see the impact Piper has had on him every single day. As parents, there is nothing more valuable than dropping your child off at school and knowing they're safe, loved, supported, challenged, and happy. Piper has given us that feeling from day one. The teachers, administrators, support staff, and everyone behind the scenes have created an environment where children are encouraged to be themselves and where families feel welcomed and connected. Our son started at Piper as a Ruby and then spent his first full year as a Bluebell, part of the first graduating Bluebell class. We're incredibly excited for him as he moves on to kindergarten, but we're also sad to be leaving this chapter behind. It has been such a meaningful and formative part of his childhood. Once a Bluebell, always a Bluebell. One of the things we've appreciated most is the community. We've made friendships with other families that we know will continue long after preschool, and we've felt embraced by a group of parents who care deeply about one another and their children's experiences. In fact, even though our daughter was accepted to the same elementary school her brother is headed to, we're enrolling her at Piper this fall because we want her to have some of the same experience he had. That's probably the strongest endorsement we can give. What Piper offers at this age feels unique, rare, and incredibly important. To everyone at Piper: thank you. Thank you for loving our son, for helping him grow, for nurturing his curiosity and confidence, and for making these early years so joyful. We will always be grateful for the role you've played in his life and in ours. We only hope the schools that follow can live up to the foundation Piper has created for him. Thank you for giving him a place where he could be fully himself, where he felt seen, encouraged, and celebrated every day. As parents, we couldn't have asked for more. E + A