MAHA was great when it came to buying a home. I had a Soft Second mortgage so I was required by…read moreMass Housing to take classes at MAHA. I got sick in 2010 and missed a few mortgage payments so one of their Foreclosure Prevention Specialist contacted me. She seemed very nice and sounded like she was almost close to tears when I told her my story. I had already been denied for 2 loan modifications, one prior to me missing any payments and one after me having missed a few payments. She sent me a form to sign so that she could speak to the mortgage company on my behalf. I signed the form and sent it back to her via email within minutes. I never heard anything back from her. After 1 month I called her to find out how it was going and she had no recollection of who I was (poor record keeping). I had to tell my sob story all over again before she recalled. Then she told me again about the form. I told her that I already sent her the form. She then asked me to send her copies of the letters that I received from the mortgage company. I emailed those over to her within minutes. More time goes by, still nothing from her. When I did speak to her again I told her my financial situation and she suggested off the record that maybe I should file for bankruptcy. So I followed her personal advice and looked into it. I ended up doing just that. I filed for Chapter 7, cleared up all of my debt and I'm now trying a 3rd time to get a loan modification on my own. The last time I spoke with her, I told her I did what she said and filed bankruptcy. She said she told me no such thing and that they're not allowed to suggest such things. I told her I know she suggested it because I hadn't even considered it prior to our conversation! She has no recollection of this of course. Now when she calls, I don't even answer and don't return her calls because clearly she can't do anything for me that I can't do my damn self. In a nutshell, I just want to say that MAHA is good for some things, hence the 2 star rating. But you guys really need to get some better trained, better organized, more professional Foreclosure Prevention Specialists on board. I don't expect to have to refresh your memory of who I am every time I speak with you. You should have a FILE and there should be notes of each interaction in that file! When I send you paperwork, that should also be in the file. What a waste of time!

MAHA is a great organization that can often assist your average home buyer in buying their first…read morehome. They offer classes to make sure that you're looking for the right things, are ready to buy your first home, and give you lots of knowledge. I sadly took the class the week before closing, so it really, REALLY wasn't helpful at this stage. I needed to have the certificate for the type of mortgage product we were getting, but had I known about the class at the beginning stages of house hunting, I absolutely would have arrange to go then. It was really anxiety provoking after the fact, when we'd already gotten a mortgage, had a home inspection, have insurance, and are really DONE and are just waiting. There was some disorganization in the class process: 1.) No one on the hospital staff (the class was in a room at Boston Medical Center) knew where it was. Had MAHA given the front desk info, I think it would have been way easier. A bunch of us were sitting in the wrong conference room at the first date of the class as we were told it was in one of the three conference rooms, and it ended up being in a blocked off part of the cafeteria. It wasn't noted on the website, and that wasn't indicated when I called. 2.) When I called to find out about the class, and make sure I had everything I needed before registering online, I called and indicated we already were already in the process of buying a house and I needed this certificate. I was told very specifically that I would receive the certificate at the end of the class. The instructor Hilda also indicated at the start of the first class that we would receive the certificate at the end of the class. Ends up, NO, we received a letter indicating that the certificate was on file at the MAHA office, and we needed to call when we were closing to get that. That's fine and all, but I had really indicated that we were closing, and I needed the certificate! It was one additional thing to deal with yesterday, the day before closing. Cortina at the MAHA office dealt with it so it all worked out, but I was seriously on the verge of a panic attack on Saturday at the end of the class series. The class I took was three days consisting of two three hour classes, and one six hour class. Despite the mix ups, I still think MAHA provides a really awesome service to first time home buyers, or first time home buyers who have additional questions AFTER home buying.

Truly awful. Every time I try to call or email, no response. I've tried all weekdays, at various…read moretimes of the day. Is this a real place?

I took several classes about wild animals, which all took…read moreplace at Franklin Park Zoo. Each was informative and fun! CLASSES: BACE offers Adult Education Classes, taking visitors behind the scenes of zoo exhibits. MY FAVE CLASS: GIRAFFE SCHOOL... You get to feed "Beau" the giraffe by hand! Gorilla School was not nearly as exciting, but you do learn a lot about the personalities of each gorilla resident of this Boston Zoo. They also offer a Big Cats Class as well. THE DEAL: Go with a friend, so you can take photos of each other, and video your "behind the scenes" experience.

I was admitted to Operation ABLE's Work/Study program a few years ago in my late Sixties. I was not…read morelooking to get a Full Time Job but I did know I wanted to either learn some Technical Computer Skills which I never thought I would ever learn at my age so that I could do some part time work somewhere or a Home Business which definitely would need Excel, Word, and make Presentations. I also learned while there they had a 'Medical Terminology Course', which would feed my previous Army Medical background and learn more up to date terms for work at a Hospital or similar area. The many weeks I was there; with the absolutely patient, understanding, and very loving and talented 'Friends' made there; I have made my life ; because of Operation ABLE's Staff much more enjoyable; and made money I never dreamed of. Let us all support this program as long as God keeps us here. They will always be part of my Heart's 'Family' and I wish them well........ A Check is on the way. Well Deserved. Frank Pignone Stoneham Mass. Age 72 and as active as 40.......due to this program.

From the owner: Since 1982, Operation ABLE, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, has provided job seekers with training…read moreprograms and employment services. Our mission and passion is to empower our community of job seekers, the underemployed, those in career transition, and military veterans who need job support services to re-enter the workforce. We offer a variety of services including occupational and computer skills training, workshops, job search training and support, coaching and counseling, and some training programs offer internships.

I went to see Deanna @ In Stitches to have some alterations done on a bridesmaid dress and I'm SO…read morehappy I did. She did such a great job and had my dress ready to go in no time at all! It went from being too big and too long to the PERFECT fit. I'll definitely be bringing my other 2 dresses to her for upcoming weddings I'm in!

Wow, I had so much fun Thursday. Deanna is a great teacher and the atmosphere was relaxing and…read moreenjoyable. I learned so much and I would highly recommend taken sewing classes here.

My husband and I had a fantastic time making pottery for the first time with Andrew! We took the…read morecouples class (was given to us as a gift from a family member- so fun!) and were able to make beautiful, unique bowls in just one session. Andrew was helpful and so talented. Highly recommend for a fun date night!

Me and my girlfriend had a lesson with Andrew and we both loved it! He was very personable and a…read moregreat demonstrator for beginners like ourselves. I would recommend this to anyone looking to get into pottery or looking for something cool to do!

Went here with a group of friends. Most dropped out after the first class, but a friend and I kept…read moreit going for the entire session and I'm glad I did. After two months, I learned the basics of salsa. The studio was a fun and welcoming place and Matei is a great instructor. He makes the classes enjoyable and irreverent. The classes start with a warmup, followed by basic salsa steps done individually, and then into dancing with (rotating) partners. There tends to be a dearth of guys, so if you are one you'll get plenty of practice. They also allow you to pay per class which is ideal for those who don't like commitments.

Find someone who is passionate about what they do, and ask them to teach you. This should be in…read morepage 1 of life's instruction book. I have realized that the folks at Salsa Matei are passionate about their love for Salsa and dancing, and are gifted enough to be able to share that passion with their students. I really can not recommend Salsa Matei and the instructors more highly to anyone who is interested in learning Salsa, or any other type or latin dancing, whether it is a one time deal, a hobby you are trying to pursue, or if you are an advanced dancer and want to learn new techniques and connect to the Boston Salsa community. One thing that you will quickly realize is that Salsa Matei does not simply teach you 'moves'. Yes, it is nice to be on the dance floor and do the cool moves, but without the proper foundation on good musicality, technique, etc, you will probably not be able to progress very far. I can honestly say that building a good strong foundation has been an integral part of my experience here. Drop ins: Learning Salsa is a fun activity that I would recommend to a group of friends as something fun to do on a weeknight, people are always welcome to drop into the beginner classes and the instructors are very flexible and adapt quickly to the number of students and the ratio of students. I have seen Matei and his staff successfully run classes of all sizes and male/female ratios and I can say that the classes are always a lot of fun. They also teach 1 hour classes at Enigma Salsa on Fridays before the social dancing starts and this is a good foundation and a good refresher for those who are experienced. Group classes: The group classes are structured and build on the material from class to class, and this is the way I would recommend for anyone learning Salsa for the first time to go. The classes are super affordable and by the end of a complete cycle of beginner level one classes you will have a solid foundation to build on. Other classes are offered as well for Bachata, Merengue and also Salsa Techniques. In short, whether you want to learn Salsa for fun and social dancing, or if you wish to pursue this art form further and become a performer I would not hesitate to take classes from Salsa Matei.