I have volunteered for this organization, so I know it well and of course am biased ;-), but the…read morequality, selection and prices of the books here are second to none. Lovely staff, clean, cozy space conveniently located off Jackson Rd.

If you love books, the best discoveries in town are at the Friends' Bookstore in the basement of…read morethe Ann Arbor District Library, downtown. They sell books, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes. Most of the books cost a dollar or two. When the shop opens in September the book buyers from the bigger used books shops line up at the door and buy boxes full of stuff. The shop goes through mountains of books every month, and a lot of it sells for less than what you would end up paying anywhere else. The best part is that the money you spend goes to the library. Only open on weekends, and hours are not the same as the library's hours: Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The bookshop closes during the summer months, so do your shopping between September and May. Full disclosure: I'm a paid employee of the library. And an avid supporter of the bookstore.

Ann Arbor is lucky to be home to some amazing non-profits, but I'd say that the Neutral Zone is…read moreamong my very favorite NPOs. They consistently provide programming for teenagers that makes me think "Man! I wish someone around me had something like that when I was a teen." This is especially true when it comes to their awesome "Youth-Owned Records" -- one of the first youth-operated record labels in the country! Who knows, my guitar skills could be a lot better, maybe I would have stepped into a music studio before the age of 19, maybe my poetry skills would've been sharper pre-college, and I bet I would have formed a lot of awesome relationships with other teenagers as well as some of the staff. From what I can tell, the NZ always seems to hire staff who really know what's going on and are caring and committed as they are cool. I was thrilled a few years back to hear about the NZ getting their new home. One of the big benefits of this new location is the amount of space. The B-Side, a large open space that doubles as a music and event venue, is a great thing for them to have. Even though I'm faaar beyond my teenage years, I've been to multiple great all-ages shows here, as well as a few other events (including the recent inaugural Ignite: Ann Arbor). I think people overlook how great this space is -- it's lovely, flexible, open, and I'd encourage anyone looking for a meeting or event space to check into it. Can't hurt to expose more people to the NZ and their great work while having a cool spot for your event, right?

The Neutral Zone is doing great things big and small. Creating future leaders, artists, activists…read moreand entrepreneurs. Creating a safe space for the youth in the community to freely and fully express themselves. Putting on the most unique and exciting fundraising events. You've got to support this organization or better yet get involved with an upcoming event, it's a lot of fun and the dividends from your efforts are invaluable to the kids and the community at large.

Me and my kids enjoyed seeing all the animals and all the staff was very knowledgeable about the…read moreanimals and they were very helpful with any questions or concerns we might have .

The Creature Conservancy is pretty awesome! I pass by it all the time but finally had a chance to…read morevisit during open hours on a Sunday. It was pretty delightful & the staff were super friendly and interacting with the animals. The CC was started 20 years ago with Al the Alligator! He was dropped off at the Vet clinic and they started CC all around him. Pretty awesome. It's not a massive space so it was perfect to get there at 3:30pm - in time for the 4pm show which is followed by an Al the Alligator feeding! We checked out all the habitats on the outside as well. Super cool experience - I'd love to come back for one of their turtle yoga, 18+ paint nights, etc. They always have pretty cool themed programming. Also follow their social media - they post the best content!

This is a huge Salvation Army store! Clothes are organized by color and the shoe selection is a…read morehidden gem. The "brick and brack" or Home Goods as other places call it is a bit on the higher priced side and there are many items not priced (which is understandable with that size of store, just difficult when hunting for items). If you're looking for clothes -- they've got them! I adore coming to this Salvation Army, but I don't bring my older friends because the lighting is so dim and I find it difficult to see clearly and often you'll walk out with a pair of shoes or dress that's a shade or two different than what you thought it was inside!

Amazing deals staff is excellent I have found alot of deals and new stuff cheap you have to check…read morethis place out I recommend

CAN has a lot of different volunteer opportunities available to get involved with the community…read morehere in Ann Arbor. I volunteered one Saturday morning when they were doing their monthly Food Distribution at Mitchell Elem. School for various families in the area who signed up to receive groceries. You can also make and bring food for the kids who come in the evening to one of their Community Centers. They have after-school programs and tutoring. www.canwashtenaw.org/volunteer

CAN is a great Non profit organization that does great work in the community. They have functions…read morefor low income children and schools. They have a regular picnic kickoff that gives pencils, paper, toys, etc to Secondary school kids. They also have various events to support the community. This includes tutoring and other assistance. I enjoy supporting this organization and I am impressed by the work that they continue to do to make a difference in people lives.

I volunteer at the Food Gatherers Community Kitchen inside the Shelter Association of Washtenaw…read moreCounty every Tuesday. The community kitchen is just one example of how the organization endeavors to provide nutritional meals to those in our community. There are a number of ways to contribute to Food Gatherers. You can volunteer at the warehouse on 1 Carrot Way, inside the community kitchen (cook, clean and serve) or as a Food Runner delivering meals. Individuals can also volunteer for special events. Visit the website to learn more and sign up as an individual or as a group. Food Gatherers offers meals to anyone in Washtenaw County in need 364 days a year. Anyone in need is welcome to come for a meal; Lunch is served Monday-Friday 12-1pm and dinner is 5:30-6:30pm. On the weekends and holidays, from 3:00-4:00pm there is one community meal.

Great organization! Well organized! Vital to the community! They provide food to anyone who…read moreneeds it.

I go here quite often, the staff is always kind and helpful. There is an array of items to look at,…read moreand tons of variety. Unfortunately, there is no heat of air conditioning, so if it is very hot and humid it's not a good place to be in and feels like an oven. When it's cold, it's freezing but if you wear a coat (sometimes even gloves) it's bearable! I have found good stuff here and always leave with a few things. Some of the resellers ruin it and are weird to others...but other than that a great place. Sometimes the pricing can be on the high end, but it depends.

I went to the gardening area looking for small pots to use as cachepots for my 2" to 4" plants but…read morethe whole place was in disarray and unpleasant to walk through. The used pots were dirty, chipped, and in some cases looked like decorated pieces from an art class. Some were small aluminum pails, and several still had original $1 price tags, yet they were being sold for the same price as new items. I had about 25 to 28 pieces, and the total came to $39. A couple of the items she priced at $4 each. I offered $25 for everything, but the offer was declined, so I left without buying anything. The person checking me out was also extremely unfriendly. She always is every time I go in there. Overall, I found the space unpleasant and the prices far too high for the condition of the items. Every time I always say I am never going back but I end up there. Never again. I've reached my limit.