We've been working with a Haitian family that settled in Boston after being forced to leave their…read morehome country. Over the last couple of weeks, they were facing an extremely tight deadline to move out of shelter and secure approval for an apartment under the state's HomeBASE program. The staff of MHSA's Dorchester office went above and beyond to make that happen, including working nights and weekends to secure the approval. The family -- parents and three children -- as well as those of us supporting them are extremely grateful.

This organization does amazing work giving to the Waltham , and surrounding areas . On the 3rd…read moreSaturday of each month is a mobile Food Pantry with an assortment of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other items . It is well worth the wait and the Staff and volunteers make this event a most enjoyable day .

Outstandingly fresh vegetables will make you a homebody all summer. It's a crime to eat out when…read moreyour pantry is full of such delicious produce. Shares seem a bit pricey when you write the check at the beginning of the season, but they are more than fair if you make the pick up every week, and are true bargains if you fully avail yourself to the abundance of herbs, beans, tomatoes, peppers and flowers that you pick yourself in the fields. Management bends over backwards to satisfy diverse shareholder preferences and has struck a fine balance between the need for sufficient quantities of staples and a wide variety of choices for the foodies. One share will easily feed a family of four, but a share can be split, making it work well for couples, too. Sign up early. Shares sell out fast.

We rejoined the CSA this year and enjoyed it as much as ever. My wife purchased a flower share as…read morewell so for 10 weeks we had lovely flowers at our table as well. As always, I had to scramble to use all of the shares once the summer started warming up and the volume started to increase, but it was fun to try and/or to give away fresh tomatoes and other produce to friends for them to try. Very glad we rejoined and looking forward to doing it again.

Just to add to the great review by Adrienne -- The Women's…read moreLunch Place is an amazing community run by dedicated and caring people. I've volunteered there many times, and the experience was wonderful. The staff is as open, kind and welcoming to volunteers as they are to their ladies. The ladies? Wow. Having the opportunity to really get to know some of the women in this community is a real blessing. The WLP is one of my favorite volunteer opportunities. Try it out!

Today, I was given ice packs, Motrin and Tylenol for extreme swelling in lower extremities due to…read moreacute osteoarthritis. They wouldn't allow me to elevate my feet for medical reasons on a chair because common sense did not prevail. A volunteer upstairs allowed me to elevate legs and a young woman Deseree attempted to pull chair out from underneath me when I said I need a minute as I had bilateral knee replacements as well. No common sense. She said if you have a bag (lol) put.your feet on that. Moments like that diminish the good that is accomplished here.

We stopped by the farm store prior to taking a guided fungi walk on the farm…read more They were well stocked with artisan local treats. I picked up a cold brew with almond milk and some sea salt caramels for our walk. They were SO delicious. We were pressed for time but I would like to go back to check it out a bit more. This farm store would be a great place to buy artisan presents... I will def be back!

How lucky are we to have a farm in Southborough? Run by the trustees and managed by a professional…read morefarm family, Chestnut Hill Farm is a magical place. At CHF, you will find a farm stand and a CSA as well as hiking trails, snowshoeing trails and cross-country options. A large variety of vegetables are grown here as well as some animals. The employees are always willing to take a minute to talk with you about their farming processes and life on the farm. There are many activities for children, families, and adults including young farmer programs, yoga at the farm, meet the farmer, running with the goats, farm dinners and more. It is a beautiful area not far from the center of town. The custodians of this farm understand their responsibility and take pride in enhancing the property both for now as well as future generations.

This daycare is just fantastic. The director really cares about the kids and the activities are…read moreenriching and creative. The center is always very clean and uncluttered. The have after school activites that allow the parents to really get involved. Definately the best center I have ever had my kids at. Just wish I still lived close enough to use it!

I interviewed about 5 area daycares in early 2015 while pregnant with my first child. The Cottage…read morestood out to me due to their extended staff retention, friendly and patient teachers, community social events, and their offerings of additional activities (karate, swim, yoga, etc). After my first child was born (because you can never predict how it will go), I ended up pushing back my start date and changing it to part time for the first month. They were very accommodating, although I'm sure it was a scramble. They have lived up to everything that was reviewed back when I was interviewing. When I had my second child, I briefly considered hiring a nanny for early morning flexibility and not having to take time off due to child sick days, but I ended up enrolling her at the Cottage because I felt so comfortable with the infant teachers and the school. We remained at the Cottage into 2018 when we moved out of the area, but experienced safe, reliable, and friendly teachers and helpers from infant, toddler, to the 2's classroom. I wouldn't say it is perfect, but the director does her best to communicate changes and any concern I've had was quickly addressed by the teachers and never had to be escalated higher. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a center based childcare.

I spent an afternoon volunteering at their urban farm across the street from the Re-Vision house…read morewith a group of people through Boston Cares and I think it's safe to say we all had a really wonderful time supporting this amazing, much-needed organization. Even in the blistering heat, I had a blast weeding and picking raspberries. Being amongst all the pretty rows of fruits and veggies alive and abundant = instant joy. Great volunteer experience. I'm blanking on her name, but the girl who runs the farm (one of two paid employees) was fun and very knowledgeable. The Re-Vision House itself provides emergency and transitional shelter for women with children (most under school-age) in the process of recovering from the viciousness of homelessness. The provide a plethora of empowering services such as parenting classes, and require their residents to work, participate in a job training program, or be obtaining their GED. Some of the residents are employed on the farm, which covers about 1 acre of previously unused plot land. Half of all the produce grown at the farm goes to the families in the Re-Vision House for free. It was explained to us that there is no full-service grocery store easily accessible in this neighborhood (requires at least a couple buses I believe), making fresh, nutritious, affordable food very difficult to obtain. They aim to grow culturally appropriate food (collards are their #1), which is something I think could have easily been overlooked. As for the other half of their produce? They are a CSA! All 75 of their shares were sold, but keep them in mind for next year. Not all their produce for their CSA shares could possibly come from their small farm, so they supplement from Allandale (another wonderrfulll farm to check out) and I think one other farm. They also reserve some subsidized shares for low-income families in Mattapan and Dorchester. If you don't want to wait until next year, look for them at the Milton farmer's market (Thursdays) or go to their weekly farmstand to support them. If you would like to volunteer on the farm, they have a great need for volunteers in the fall and early spring. The Revision House and their farm project are doing so many positive things all-around for our greater Boston community. Their website is quite informative if you'd like to learn about more of their services and/or get more details on the farm. With so many ways to support them, do it! Eating locally-grown zucchini that helps the cycle of homelessness?! Warms your healthier heart a few extra degrees.

They also have a great farm stand every Thursday in the summer! Swing by to get your potatoes,…read moreonions, collard greens... Jolie is the girl who worked on the farm last year, Matt is the farm manager.

I will never go here again. That should start to explain things…read more If it makes it a little confusing, then let me go into detail. We, myself and one other person, came in early on a Wednesday morning. It was the 13th, to be specific. And we came in at approximately 8:56 am. What we didn't know however, was that it was Senior hour from 9:30 am to 10:30. That isn't what I'm complaining about though. Sure, we were a bit miffed that this wasn't on the website when we came but we didn't have any problem with it. We just sat there and waited for our turn. Then, at exactly 10:26, did the rest of the people who weren't 60+ started coming and we were at the front of the line. By now, we were just happy to be getting our turn. Then, a man, whose name I will not disclose, asked if he could move forward with the last people from the line for the 60+. They asked his age, from which he respectfully replied that he was 59. They let him in. But, now you see, this is where the plot thickens. He had someone with him. A woman who was clearly disabled in a walker who needed help to move around. They didn't let her in. This was a conundrum. Why? Let me go back. Before, there was another woman in the 60+ line who pulled along with her a young woman who was clearly in her 30s and very capable of staying behind and waiting her turn. So then, I ask you, was it fair that this 30 yr old was allowed access, while this poor, disabled woman was forced to wait outside, uncomfortable, like a common stray dog? I think not. Hence, the other person that I was with, started asking the guy who was at the front door, why they didn't let the woman in. She, the other person, was very respectful, and tried her best to be understood, because she had a bit of an accent and some words ran together occasionally. The guy looked a bit affronted. Then a woman who worked there came out and the whole thing started all over again. Then, he came out. I believe his name is Will McGovern. The pantry manager. This guy had to be 6'3 maybe, with a beer gut, blond, blue eyes, and holding a shake from McDonalds. He came out with fury in his eyes. He then started spewing, and pardon my language, bullshit about how she was disrespecting his employees, and a whole bunch of other shit. I swear, the guy was on a rampage. The people behind us were shocked. And angry. She looked shocked as well. She vehemently denied this, stating that she had only been asking. Anyone with eyes could see this. Literally anyone. The guy just kept saying "I dunno. I only know what I heard." In this namby-pamby little prissy boy voice. I was shaking by this point. Not from fear though. Oh no, not from fear. Rather, from anger. Anger that this incompetent little overgrown brat called this other person, who happens to be a close family member of mine, a liar. He then proceeded to pluck the card, the card that you use to get in, right from her hand and said that he would permanently take this away from her if she continued to disrespect his employees. I had enough of this by this point. I got right up in his face and told him off. I said, "Sir, I apologize for whatever you think you heard, but clearly, you are not listening. She told you what happened but you just wan't to live in your own little world of denial. I can vouch for this woman. She is trustworthy and she has never lied a day in her life. Never. She is painfully honest." I then started to say MY piece because he had his turn. It was my turn now. He was silent. Shocked in fact. I don't like causing trouble with people. I'm usually pretty easy going. But, this man, no wait, this Lounge Lizard, this social parasite, insulted us, disrespected us, and treated us like we were nothing. Like we were less than nothing. My grandparents didn't come here, to this country, to be treated like some bothersome parasite. We did not fight for our freedom, to be treated like crap. So that, when we need a little help, a little helot get back on our feet, to be treated like a common slave. So, if you, Lounge Lizard, social parasite Will McGovern, are reading this, I hope you feel ashamed of your actions. Will McGovern is a racist man who hates woman and Latinx people!

Excellent organization! Great people! Working for the less fortunate. Love their work and kindness.read more

Love this place. Everyone that is always so nice. The atmosphere when you walk in it's extremely…read morerelaxing. Great place to .

Staff were friendly and welcoming, which made it feel like a safe environment. Lots of items to…read morechoose from! Everything is neat and appears to be in order.