Friendly House Kids Corner

FRONT DESK IS ANYTHING BUT FRIENDLY. Jennifer was not warm and welcoming, and couldn't give me answers to questions I asked. Then she was rude and begrudging when I asked her to complete a simple task. As she acted like she'd completed what I'd asked, Jennifer became exasperated & tried to dismiss my presence with a nice/nasty "have a good day". I WOULD NOT recommend this place to any families or community members if this is how they're treated upon entering. **So glad I declined to work for them years ago. FYI: they didn't support breastfeeding mothers when I was offered a position, so, that tells you how much they truly value the families they serve!

THEIR STAFF RUINED MY GRANDDAUGHTER’S 1ST BIRTHDAY!!! The experience at the Friendly House has changed significantly. Initially, it was rented for a baby shower for my son & daughter-in-law, and the event was a success. Attendees enjoyed the occasion, and we cleaned up, disposed of garbage, & even shared food with the receptionist as a gesture of appreciation. However, the atmosphere during my granddaughter’s first birthday celebration on 12/22/24 was unlike anything I have ever encountered. It’s important to note that the parents paid for this, including the baby shower at the Friendly House “community center.” They are responsible young adults striving to provide the best life for their daughter. When we arrived it became clear that the receptionist was not welcoming. The birthday celebration included activities like a bouncy house, a ball pit, toddler fencing, and small ride-on toys within a spacious play area for children, all of which her parents had rented. As the party progressed, we hurried to open presents for the celebratory "Happy Birthday" moment. We chose simple cupcakes instead of a large cake to make things easier, allowing guests to enjoy them and take some home, cutting time, and cleaning. However, the receptionist abruptly entered the room, informing us that we had five minutes to gather our belongings and exit. Her exact screaming words were, “YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES TO GET YOUR STUFF AND EVERYONE OUT!” There was a room full of terrified children after this. When my daughter-in-law apologized for losing track of time & she that she called rental company was on its way to retrieve the bouncy house rentals, it did not ease the tension; instead, she became more enraged. As we began to pack everything, the receptionist remained disrespectful & condescending. A simple reminder of the time & guidelines would have suffice but she was content in being a bully. My daughter-in-law and her sister spoke with the receptionist about her confrontational behavior. The receptionist exact words were, “DO I NEED TO CALL THE POLICE TO GET YOU PEOPLE OUT!” Keep in mind now we literally were only 10 minutes over our time which we paid for because they would keep the deposit for going over. Unnecessary. As we continued to pack & clean up, she called the police and provided my son’s name as if he were a perpetrator of a crime. He did not say a word to her. When my daughter-in-law asked for the receptionist’s name to file a formal complaint about her behavior, she refused. Although my son had no direct interaction with the receptionist, she gave my son's name to the 911 dispatcher without justification. By the time the officers arrived, around 20 minutes after she told us to get out, we had packed our belongings and were ready to exit. After consulting with them, we were assured we could leave without concerns. How horrible, humiliating for everyone present, & traumatic for the kids attending the party. Unacceptable. Do I think this was influenced by the birthday party guests being predominantly African American? Absolutely. Did she exhibit an “I am white, so I am right” attitude? Without a doubt. Did she insult everyone who attended and will now hear about this experience with the Friendly House? Without question. Such treatment is fundamentally unacceptable in any capacity. This non-profit organization relies on contributions from a diverse community to fulfill its mission of serving individuals from various backgrounds. This organization generates revenue by renting this space, an option my son has utilized, paying a substantial amount for its use. If this receptionist represents this organization's values, this raises significant concerns regarding its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Their mission statement is "To respond to the needs of children, families, and seniors through quality, affordable services that will enrich lives and strengthen our neighborhoods and the community." Update: Talked to the director who said they would investigate & he would contact us back. Not surprised we heard nothing.

I would give this place 0 stars if that was an option, I called to ask if they were able to assist with something & the lady who answered had a really snobby tone & said “we don’t help with that sorrry” & when I tried to ask if she knew who might she spoke over me saying “sorrrry” & as I finished what I was saying she said “SORRY” as loud & snobby as could be. I literally was just asking if they could help with something, I was polite, & she was just rude to be rude. “Friendly House” what a joke. If you don’t have compassion you shouldn’t be working for a place like this. I work at a call center & I would NEVER speak with a person that way. Completely unprofessional and appalling disgusting.

I wish could give you no stars for the review. I have been using g your food banks for the past 2 years and now all of a sudden im out of your area. You going to tell me I can give you bread to hold you over until you can get to the food bank that is in my area and is only opened the hours im at work What am I supposed to feed my 6 yr old? Your are horrible.

Children do and should always be the top most important priority. My children feel everything but that from their experience during attending the friendly house. Myself as a single mother with 5 children has been treated with disrespect and made to feel less than when needing the assistance they claim to love to provide to the community. I am personally never able to waste anytime in my life and the friendly house has made my life distrusted with stress and emotional distress for both myself and my children. My two sons were deliberately left @ school without my notification. I was also told I would most likely not receive holiday assistance for my children due to an unpaid portion of dhs assistance being unpaid.For the last year I have felt less than worthy while using the assistance that I needed for my family.i am personally someone who works in the community doing 2 high stress jobs for our community and to be treated like this while in a vulnerable position in life was more than a traumatic experience for myself and my family.As a mother of 5 children and a mandatory reporter in our community I would highly recommend not receiving care from this facility.