Community Services/Non-Profits near South El Monte, CA

“We got our baby from here, he is so well behaved and was clearly well taken care of. He is amazing and we love him so much! The people working there were so sweet and gave us a bunch of stuff to take home with him. The adoption process was stress free and super simple. We really appreciate everything they do and wouldn’t rather have adopted anywhere else!”

“This is my family’s favorite bookstore. We’ve found many great vintage children’s books at decent prices. The staff is friendly, and the environment is inclusive.”

“They are a wonderful help to the community to help the homeless.They have a food bank and once a person finds a place to live, then help with moving in expenses.So glad they are here in Pasadena.”

“Came up here because I was down on my luck and needed some food. These folks were so friendly as soon as you walk up to their gate. The emergency food is right at the front easily ready to go and the gentleman out in the front was so helpful and kind. It’s beautiful to know there is places like this and hope with a helping hand out here. Thank you all and God bless you.”

“Beloved community, holistic arts and community programs, reconnecting to earth. I’m a member of this garden and so grateful to be. Visit us any Saturday, 8am-12pm! We also have community food distributions every other Saturday - come thru and take nourishment home with ya. ? A beautiful place always…and especially in spring for Cali Native flower blooms ?”

“in over 30 years I have always found the SRA to be helpful in all matters. Great customer service. I have also appreciated buying specialized gifts at the Emporium before my retirement and since then. Thank you for the great job you do for us.”

“The Senior Citizen exercise program is great! Not too easy and not too hard. The instructor is very clear, supportive and understandable. The only negative thing is that it is only once a week. It should be twice a week separated by a few days.”

“Generally a good place, with one improvement needed: serve the two lines more evenly so it's first come, first served.I appreciate the opportunity to get food for someone that is having a hard time right now. Most of the volunteers are very helpful and friendly. Sometimes they even offer to pray for you.However, they need to be more attentive to serving the two lines of cars more evenly. They claim that one line isn't faster than another, but it's not true.Tonight I made a mental note of the license plate of the last car in the other line (that I wasn't in) when I got in line. That car made it through the line much faster.So, I waited a lot longer than I would have if I had been in that line. I pointed it out to a worker and asked her to tell a supervisor. She agreed that they were "off-balance" tonight (serving one line more often than the other).I realize that it's a free service; however, it's frustrating to see other cars coming after you and getting served first. This has happened on other visits as well.It's about 45 minutes to an hour total from the time I start waiting in line until I leave. So, being served in first come, first served order would help.SUGGESTION: Give drivers an index card with a number on it as they arrive, then call them out in numerical order.”

“I have borrowed few equipments from Convalescent Aid Society and I have had great experience with them from creating the account to ease in getting the equipment i needed for my family member. It is such a blessing to get the equipment without paying anything , may be little donation if you can afford to keep the program going, so everyone can benefit from this non profit organization.I am very thankful to the Founder of this organization and the supporting staf as wellThank you”

“Awesome staff makes homeless feel like home. This location provides Monrovia and Duarte with food for the homeless.If your reading this and can help with donations please do!”

“I love this little shop because it is really inexpensive and has some great designer brands and shoes most of the time! I used to shop here years ago. Because the business is small and has limited space, you will need to say "excuse me" frequently. High-quality apparel may be obtained at rock-bottom costs here. You won't find a better deal anywhere else.”

“I'm fighting an unconstitutional CCW scheme out of Riverside County where sheriff Chad Bianco is acting like he's pro second amendment but he's not. CRPA and Michele and Associates are helping me to start a suit against Riverside for using Arbitrary rules and subjective standards. Remember Chad Bianco is a politician and not a real sheriff. I'm going to expose this. Thank you CRPA for fighting for the rights of Californians. I was denied my CCW based only on the name I use Dawud. My investigator was very rude to me and brought up my YouTube channel which back then only had me speaking on morality and videos of me Pulling, splicing, and testing fiber optics cable. He mentioned my YouTube name and I could tell he didn't like it and is more than likely anti semitic and hates Arabic people because when he mentioned my name he made it sound kind he caught me doing something wrong. I just responded "Yeah I have YouTube. It's just a hobby and I enjoy making videos". Next thing you know after 1 year of waiting for CCW I get an email I was denied. I spoke to the front office the other day and they confirmed yes they are getting many calls in regards to denials and Riverside is one of the top offenders. Also they are turning away trainers for CCW classes and only want certain people to hold the monopoly in the market. I spoke to a trainer one day at a gun show and he said the same guy who runs the CCW unit who was my investigator was being a real jerk and was rude to him. Join, donate and volunteer for CRPA. They are making a difference in California.”

“Decided to make our son 2nd generation KYL! It's great to have a family-oriented place where kids are developed in sports and character. It's not super competitive but there's definitely room for good solid athleticism to be formed. Racially diverse and feels very welcoming for all. I see many of the faces I saw 30 years ago when I played sports at KYL and it says a lot that their kids and grandkids are still involved too.”

“I am currently a client for mental health. I suffer from manic depression and at the time I was suicidal. This place is really for the youth 25 and below. However they stepped in to help me. I have a great team. ?”

“This is a thrift store but looks like a botique store that belongs on Melrose. Staff here are mostly PAID interns for young adults. They have new iems with tag(s) and for $5+ or so. I am glad I stopped by in the middle of searching for food Ceazar Chavez in East LA, found many items I wanted but hungry rushed me out of store. Parking is on street, and they use venmo. Do give yourself ample time to look around. Of course, they accept donations. Do call ahead if you need assistance or verify if they can take certain items. Know your donation is tax deductible and are helping the youth in local communties.”

“Cool staff and cool place. Got a whole setup minus trucks for a decent price and gripped my board for free. He made sure the grip tape edges were nice and clean, even used a drill to clean up the hardware holes. They sell art supplies too. Completely recommended.”

“Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon to take a peak at the free to see “From the Ground Up” exhibit. This gallery is small but engaging with a wide variety of contemporary artworks on display that all told a different but connected story. The gallery wasn’t crowded at all which allowed for an immersive art experience. I was able to find street parking close by without issue. They also host other exhibits periodically and offer art classes for children and adults. I haven’t been to one of these yet, but would love to in the future. A nice place to stop by for a bit to enjoy free art if you find yourself walking around in Old Pasadena.”

“Very impressed! Easy in, Easy Out! Staff is so sweet and compassionate! If you are in need of food - please visit here ? Minister Lisa Griggs
World Mission Outreach”

“Wonderful Thrift Shop with all kinds of very reasonable finds. Clothing to toys and knick knacks and even some jewelry and more. I believe the ladies are volunteers and they're always helpful and pleasant. You won't go out empty-handed.”

“When I moved to the LA area a few years ago I was so happy I could transfer my Junior League membership to the league in Pasadena. It's a tight knit group of motivated women who are actively participating in their community. If you are looking to gain leadership skills, learn how to fundraise, and/or do hands-on volunteering in the Pasadena area, I highly recommend checking out JLP! They have even shown their resilience and adaptiveness during the pandemic, with online meetings, virtual fundraisers and socially-distanced volunteer opportunities. Looking forward to another great year, which just so happens to be their 95th!!”

“My husband and I had our wedding here in March 2025 - absolutely beautiful venue! The existing furniture and decor meant we didn't have to spruce up the place too much ourselves plus saved us some money on table/chair rentals, and we loved that we were able to bring in all our own choices of vendors. The getting ready area upstairs is beautiful and very spacious as well. We had about 65 guests - the max for the venue is 120, but I think it would be pretty crowded at that number. For 65 it was perfect. We had access to the venue the day before for set-up and rehearsal which was super helpful, and we and our coordinator had a very easy time working with the groundskeeper for day-of logistics. The 3D tour on the website is very accurate and helped us a lot when planning between site visits. I definitely recommend Shakespeare Club for your small to medium size events and weddings!”

“The place was clean and a perfect location for anniversary party a wedding party it was so classic and everyone that came treated classic it was so nice and our family since we have so many children and teenagers whatever we do they always included at every function and gathering that way you teach children how to be classic and to behave it was my first time there at the lodge and it was very accommodated for handicap or anybody ♥️?”

“Great neighborhood park with soccer and softball fields, basketball courts, playgrounds, community compost, and a recreation center with swimming pool. Every Tuesday morning, there’s a farmers market where the friendly honey guy always has treats for doggies. (Thank you!) There are no poop bag dispensers, and the doggie drinking fountain always seems to be broken, but there are nice paved walking paths and grassy fields to frolic in.”

“It was the boys Christian league back when I attended here from 1971-1978 they would pick us up at school with a bus in Duarte. I enjoyed playing football baseball and basketball I was on the Pirates and we all went camping every summer in the mountains I wouldn’t change it for anything”

“Very impressed with the facility and the staff that works at the Y. Everyone is very friendly and accommodating . Looking forward to utilizing their Personal training program.”

“I am so fortunate to have found this center in our community. I have been going here for a few months now to attend yoga twice during the week. It is a non profit and non denominational organization run by two sisters who are nuns. Both are extremely kind and so welcoming. They are passionate at serving their community and the well being of each other. I have gone to high end fancy yoga studios and have done private lessons before but nothing beats simplicity and coming back to basics. Following the traditional classical way of yoga is about uniting and anchoring the mind, body and spirit. Unfortunately most studios nowadays don't teach this! It is geared towards physical fitness but this center goes beyond the physical aspect, they teach mindfulness/awareness through ancient wisdom. The yogi/instructor is amazing. She is gentle enough to know what kind of stretches her class needs but will also incorporate some challenging posses to strengthen you. She'll explain the benefits of each stretch and pose. At the end of the class I walk out feeling invigorated and limber for sure!! I have taken my son with me a few times to do yoga and he enjoys it. Yoga classes are donation based $60/mo. They also offer a meditation class on Wed evening. They teach yogic breathing-pranayama. The sister will guide you through the different types of breath work techniques. It is very grounding and puts you in the present moment. It also helps with stress and anxiety. Breath work is a great tool to have in your daily practice. This is a great class to attend. The amount of knowledge and deep wisdom from the sister is invaluable! Class is an hour long. Personally speaking from my experience, yoga studios are great establishments , but if you are seeking to go deeper in your spiritual practice, I highly recommend this place. You will find it more enriching physically and mentally. I truly love the close knit community here from all walks of life...older and younger ages. All are welcome! This organization is such a gem to our city!”

“This is a great place to come volunteer if you're in the Pasadena area. It's located near the intersection of Pasadena Ave & California Blvd. Parking can be a little difficult since it's all street parking, but if they allow you to park in their driveway, then that's a win for you. My team dedicated a whole morning to cook a meal for the young patients here and their mothers. We decided to go with a Mexican meal because most of the families were Hispanic. We cooked a variety of enchiladas, with sides of rice and beans. And for dessert was a healthy fruit salad that we chopped up by ourselves. They provided us with the kitchen space and tools to do the cooking. Majority of the cooking tools were worn out, so next time I definitely want to donate some new ones to them. There was a kitchen in the front house and a back house, but both were very small. I suggest having a maximum of 6 people in each kitchen at a time, or it will get a little compact and chaotic. We had to take turns because we had a total of 25 people. During our downtime, we got to enjoy the property and interact with the families. I love what the Ronald McDonald House is doing for these families. It brings me absolute joy to volunteer and provide any aid that I can to our community. Our workplace is making this a once a month activity, but I definitely see myself coming back more often than that.”

“My go to spot over the years when visiting SoCal and I need a meeting. I have loved every meeting attended here, in multiple fellowships, except for one AA men's stag (maybe it was an off day). When in town, I will keep coming back!”

“Our business has been part of the Whittier Chamber of Commerce for 2 years now & we love it! I became an ambassador & love to volunteer my time. The networking is so helpful and you meet amazing people. Love my chamber family ♥️”