I'm 66 yr old, disabled 9n SSI, currently living on Los Angeles St.
A person that works there, (maintenance ), thinks he can get away with constantly messing w my refrigerator dail and leaving me w spoiled food in my freezer!
I am diabetic. Every time I shower or cook, or go to the bathroom; I have to check my fridge. Is this the way elder people are supposed to live?
Horrible absolute nightmare. After being put in a ROACH filled cesspool full of problems. The staff first time in project room key stole my items!!!!!
When they decided to pack my stuff for me. Second time in another place I was ordered to pack just Two bags like they owned me and if I didn't comply I was falsely and fraudulently put under a 72 HR involuntary hold I believe out of harassment so I would be forced to do what they wanted. They DONT HELP WOMEN, THEY DONT CARE ABOUT WOMEN. It's like your just a number to them so they can use you force you to do what they want for an easy result. I LOST 8000 DOLLARS WORTH OF STUFF because of their sneaky tactics!
When I asked other women they told me ALL THEIR CLIENTS HATE AND DETEST THEM because they too have had all their stuff stolen by them! And been pushed around items stolen told they were replaceable.
A number of women told me they STOLE FUNDING & NEVER PAID LANDLORDS putting people into disripute and downgraded into shelters!
DO NOT USE DOWNTOWN WOMENS CENTRE very bad organisation!
It seems like all the good reviews are from donators and volunteers not from the clients this company is suppose to " help " all clients complain they are treated bad, stolen from, had funding stolen and as a result evicted. Its the same story from nearly every homeless women you speak to who has used them
I really cant fathom who would even donate to them and why? because they are not helping the homeless women their non profit claims to but more steal donation money for themselves. I suspect only people looking for a tax write off donate and not THOSE who actually want to put their money to good use in ACTUALLY helping homeless women get off the streets in Los Angeles
My experience doing service hours at this organization is amazing. They are very welcoming to you and they make you feel at home. They learned my name and every time I brought my service hours in they made me feel great about doing so. I brought a service hour sheet with me and they signed it right there and I had no problem with the approval of the hours. This is an absolutely great organization and they truly help the women in that area get fed. They feed them breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. I highly recommend doing your service hours at this women's shelter.
As part of a group that has provided grants to DWC, I felt that it was time to actually visit and learn more about their programs, which I did the other day. I was completely blown away by the wrap-around services they provide to the community of homeless women in the area - from meals to showers to housing to mental health services to job training and more. This is an outstanding organization that deserves to be supported and acknowledged for the excellent work that they do.
I have been to the Downtown Women's Center on several occasions, and am part of a Giving Circle that has contributed to this wonderful organization. You can't help but be humbled and moved by the work that happens at the DWC, and the impact that they have on so many women's lives. I am a proud supporter, and certainly attest to this organization being a GREAT NONPROFIT.
The Downtown Women's Center is one of the most impressive nonprofits in Los Angeles county. They offer a home on skid row to countless homeless women. The programs they provide such as job training and services such as mammograms are unique and there is a reason they are so well-regarded nationally. Please donate or volunteer.
It truly is inspiring to see the work that the Downtown Women's Center is doing. The safe haven they provide for women of Skid Row, the hope they provide through health services and training programs, and the extraordinary mentoring and support they provide to get women on their feet and employed.
DWC is doing an exemplary job of servicing the overwhelming needs of homeless women on Skid Row. Providing food, shelter, healthcare, showers, comfort, career counseling, job placement and every wraparound service, they are doing their part to help the people of our city.
The Downtown Women's Center is a transformational organization that impacts women on the most basic and fundamental level. The staff are second to none and the Board deeply committed to their important work. DWC is a leader in the fight against homelessness and at the very top of their game when is comes to permanent supportive housing. I cannot speak more highly or with more conviction about the work DWC does on Skid Row and beyond.
I have been volunteering at the DWC for almost two years now that I am retired from fulltime work. I come in on Wednesdays to help with donations sorting for several hours and then to help in the kitchen before, during and after lunch. I have helped out a few times as a representative for the DWC at public events, talking to people about DWC and various volunteer opportunities. I am also learning to give DWC tours at the San Pedro site. The volunteer orientation and training I had was thorough and helped me understand more about DWC and the women who are served here. I have found all the staff to be very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Most importantly I have enjoyed meeting, working with and learning from women who are residents at DWC, participants in DWC training programs and helpers in the kitchen from the Day Center. I highly recommend contacting the DWC to learn more about its mission and programs and to volunteer in some way. Come and visit! There are many ways to volunteer and opportunities are offered not just during the day, but in the evenings and on weekends too.
I have been volunteering at DWC for the past 3 1/2 years. I absolutely love how passionate the staff and volunteers are here. I love all the different outlets and help this center offers to women in need.
My friend and I created an art workshop every other Saturday that gives anyone who wants to participate and outlet to release stress and tap into there creativity. I truly love seeing the ladies who take the workshop gain confidence and a happy memory while creating art.
This place is not worth one star.
This women center is for staff and volunteers social and economic advancement. Homeless women who need housing clothes or resources get nothing but exploited and treated like dogs or cattle. Homeless women are "fronted off" in front of volunteers and people who donate food and money then staff keep everything for themselves. Most people are fooled by the grinning staff but they should be investigated because staff is corrupt, practice nepotism and are stealing from the government through grants then keeping everything for themselves then they threaten to kick homeless women out of shelter if they ask for clothes or housing.
They lock the door during breakfast and lunch as a way to control embarrass and disgrace the hungry women who are outside begging to get in. If homeless woman need shoes staff will yell at her loudly in front of everyone and tell her there are no shoes (it makes the homeless woman look like she is begging) then staff tell her she must fill out form to get shoes and it could take weeks. Then staff will say they only give shoes to women who walk in bare footed.
Clothes are constantly donated to the downtown women center and homeless women must sit and watch while staff take all shoes and new clothes for themselves and leave rags for the homeless women to pick through. Cases of meat are delivered to the shelter every day yet the homeless women are never served meat. The supervisor over the kitchen never wear gloves while preparing food and regardless of how much food is prepared by volunteers or donated -- staff never allow homeless women to get a second plate. Staff treat homeless women like trained dogs to make themselves look good in front of volunteers and people who donate. You will notice the "great reviews," are coming from volunteers not homeless women. The relationship between staff and homeless woman is the oppressor and oppressed. There are homeless women who have gone to downtown women center for years and are still homeless. Who do you believe the downtown women center is helping? The staff look at homeless women with hate in their eyes as if homeless women existence is inconveniencing them. Staff attitude is-----if homeless women don't like how they are treated at DWC then they don't have to be there.
I've been volunteering with the DWC's Cooking Club program for six years. A group of people get together one evening, everyone brings ingredients, and cooks a meal for around 75 people to be served at lunch the next day. It's fun and it feels like I'm doing something specific and useful for people. I've also learned some great cooking tips. I recently got trained as a Kitchen Leader to help the DWC host even more Cooking Club groups. The DWC is a great place, which provides so many important resources for homeless women, including showers, P.O. boxes, a health clinic and computer classes.
Please note that Charity Navigator does not fully reflect all that was happening at the Downtown Women's Center in 2009 -- most notably, the fund-raising for and construction of an expanded home for the organization. Now open, the building renovated with proceeds of DWC's 2009 capital campaign has increased DWC's permanent housing from 47 to 71 units, added a medical and mental health clinic, and provided approximately 75% more space for Day Center programs, including meals, shower facilities, workshops, and case management. In January 2011, the first full month that the building was open, nearly 6400 meals were served, already more than twice the number served in January of the prior year.
While the larger site has allowed DWC to greatly expand its programs, the millions of dollars raised and used for the site's renovation are not reported as a program expense. However, the cost of raising money for the renovation was reported as a fund-raising expense. As a result, 2009 fund-raising expenses appeared high compared to program expenses and DWC's rating was downgraded from 4 stars to 3 stars. However, capital campaign fund-raising expenditures in 2009 raised funds to help provide a much larger building, ultimately allowing DWC's programs to serve far more women and serve them better.
Review from CharityNavigator
I have been volunteering more years than I can remember. I have helped make meals and have them delivered. This is a great organization that uses its resources wisely. Everyone is so appreciative of the work that I do and the women and staff are so kind. They really treat you so well that it makes you want to give your money and your time. I also like that all women are welcome in the community and that they treat each woman with so much respect and help them find housing, jobs, reunite with families, counseling and so much more.
The Downtown Women's Center is one of those places that the minute you walk through the doors, you know you're in the right place. The organization provides a warm loving spot for the women of Los Angeles' skid row to gather and be cared for. It's an amazing organization with an amazing staff and amazing volunteers who support the incredible women of skid row.