More Than Words is a nonprofit bookstore that sells new and used books while supporting young…read morepeople ages 16-24 who are system-involved, including youth from foster care, court-involved backgrounds, housing insecurity, and more. The young people help run the store, learn job skills, and work toward personal and career goals--and it truly shows in the care and pride behind the space. The shop itself is small but mighty. I walked out with four excellent-condition used books (three of which had already been on my TBR list) and somehow also added two cookbooks because... no regrets. Everything was very affordable, and it felt good knowing my purchase was directly supporting youth in the local community. If you're near one of their locations (I believe there's another in the Boston area), I highly recommend stopping in or checking out their online storefront. Great books, great prices, and an even greater mission--absolutely worth supporting.

Great place to shop and support your community. I live that there are brand new housewares at…read morefraction the cost of retail. One can feel good in shopping and supporting a worthwhile cause.

Outstandingly fresh vegetables will make you a homebody all summer. It's a crime to eat out when…read moreyour pantry is full of such delicious produce. Shares seem a bit pricey when you write the check at the beginning of the season, but they are more than fair if you make the pick up every week, and are true bargains if you fully avail yourself to the abundance of herbs, beans, tomatoes, peppers and flowers that you pick yourself in the fields. Management bends over backwards to satisfy diverse shareholder preferences and has struck a fine balance between the need for sufficient quantities of staples and a wide variety of choices for the foodies. One share will easily feed a family of four, but a share can be split, making it work well for couples, too. Sign up early. Shares sell out fast.

We've had a farm share for 2 years now. The vegetables are so fresh and delicious that we felt sad…read moregoing away on vacation. Their produce tastes better than anything I've ever found at a farmer's market, and is of course totally organic. You pay ahead when you reserve your summer share in January. It seems like a hefty sum, but you get a lot of produce, so it actually works out to be quite reasonable -- we split the share among 5 adults and still end up not eating everything. You pick veggies up every week, which we look forward to doing because you get to say hello to the cheery farmers and go into the fields yourself to pick certain items. There's nothing better than a tomato warmed by the sun and eaten right off the vine! You get to learn about new veggies you didn't know you liked (hakurai radishes??) and for us city kids, it's cool to see what a familiar veg looks like when it's growing out of the ground (when I started going here I couldn't tell a carrot from a broccoli plant). We've done all three share programs they offer: summer, fruit, and winter. You have to join for the summer to be eligible for the other two. I recommend both the summer and winter shares, but I wouldn't do the fruit share again. That's because they partner with another farm for the fruit and so it's not organic -- also they don't give you much fruit and generally it's not as high quality as their veggies. But the summer and winter shares are excellent! Extra bonus points for being a community farm and for their work helping the hungry.

We are huge fans of JF&CS! We used their services to adopt our wonderful son. Thank you, thank…read moreyou, thank you! We cannot recommend the organization, staff, and services enough!

The JF&CS is a thoughtful warmhearted marvelous organization! I'm perplexed at how well they treat…read moreand care for their clients and mine. They are open and willing to assist their person in need no matter how challenging it becomes, its rarely if ever easy. The difference? Each parent and child is case by case, not "cookie cutter" pass them along and forget. The staff members at the JF&CS who facilitate (Katya, Viktoria, Mary, Peggy) have the passion, knowledge, empathy, valued resources, and heart. Its a genuine pleasure knowing the JF&CS exists and still provides the heart felt charitable services that they do. I'm a supporter, believer, and even a student of the JF&CS learning simply how to treat people with love care and respect. Frederick Brewer

This small training center in an office park in Waltham is used by the American Red Cross for…read morecertification classes in adult and pediatric CPR and first aid. They do a good job with the training, the location is not hard to find, there's parking. Note that there are not a lot of amenities in the area so if you have an all-day class it's a good idea to bring a lunch with you.

What an amazing place that carbs about the community. Was here for volunteer work and quality…read morematters when it came to separating items for donations. I like that care is put into this organization. Donations that were damaged, stained, smelled, etc were trashed. Just because people get donations doesn't mean the deserve poor quality items. I truly enjoyed volunteering here and would definitely do it again. Please donate any new or gently used goods here. It helps people who need it.

I've volunteered here 3 times in last 4 or so months and it's truly incredible. I need to sign up…read morefor more! You get grouped off to different stations (shoes, big sort, sizing, or building outfits, etc.), and by the end of the two hour shift, the staff is able to summarize everything each station completed. You can see and hear the immediate impact you're making on children at risk of clothing insecurity in the Greater Boston Area. It was super easy signing up online as a volunteer group, and I couldn't recommend it more.

I recently began volunteering weekly at the National MS Society. I have participated in the Boston…read moreMS Walk for over 7 years, and am serving on the Boston Walk Committee for the 2009 walk. They really have their act together when it comes to preparing for volunteers. Unlike other non-profits I've volunteered for, they always have a task prepared for volunteers upon their arrival. If walkers need to receive walk packets, assembly line stations will already be set up by the time you walk in the door. You really feel the organization values the time you're donating. Brenda Barbour, Director of Volunteer Development, makes sure you enjoy your volunteer experience by matching your expertise with the MS Society's needs.

I volunteered for the MS Volvo 5K run on Thanksgiving Day. Because really, who doesn't want to…read morevolunteer at 7AM on turkey day? :) I was assigned to food prep for the runners.. slicing bananas and bagels while chatting with other participants and volunteers. After volunteering through Boston Cares, I realized that the run would interfere with something else I had volunteered for at 10AM. Both Brenda Barbour, the director of volunteer development, and Sandy Baldi were both very nice and accommodating and I was able to go to both (and on time). It was actually pretty awesome helping out that morning and seeing all those that were taking time to do something extra special on their Thanksgiving. I even bumped into two volunteers that were getting married the next day. Love and volunteerism = Long marriages. haha.. The New England Chapter of the National MS Society is a great resource for people with MS, along with their friends and families. There are tons of links/forums/programs including dinners, phone/in person support groups, message boards, educational/advocacy links etc. on their website. If you'd like to volunteer throughout the year they have lots of walks in New England, the Thanksgiving run, and four bike rides. If you're in the Waltham area, they also need help in the office with everything from admin work to event planning. And of course if you'd like to participate in any of these events by fundraising or being a runner/walker that is also great! And for all you super athletes, they look for people to represent them for the Boston Marathon. MS may not be the "hip" cause these days without celebrity backing (RIP Richard Pryor), but they're definitely worthy of your time. Check out their website for more details on MS and the New England chapter!

Today, the Food Project brought a farmers market to my office to sell fresh, locally grown,…read morepesticide-free produce and other food items. The vegetables were grown by teenagers in an urban garden in Dorchester. The Food Project's mission is to, "grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system." This is totally worth supporting.

A noble organization that aims to drive personal and social change through the development of…read moresustainable food systems. They have two local farms where youth are taught to plant food using traditional, organic methods. Half the produce is donated to shelters and the remainder is sold at farmers' markets or in crop shares. They also host community meals with guest chefs from top-notch chefs from all over the city. And of course, offer group and individual volunteer projects, great for company outings or a free weekend. Their whole staff is simply awesome, especially the outreach coordinator, Michael Iceland. Come support these guys motivate, educate and change!

Been trying to receive support services for my mom for over 15 months by springwell. They are non…read morecommittal nor dependable which has my family constantly running over to cover for springwell. Sadly they are no shows many many times about 35% of the time and late too.

Very possibly one of the biggest wastes of tax dollars. Waltham has he worst social services I…read morehave ever witnessed and Springwell is a cornerstone. I was literally "dumped" a ream of paper about alternative-to-Medicare cheaper health care. I have difficulty filling out forms due to spine issues. Worse, I need housing. Again dumped with paper. No help. No food options. The person who came to the house was long winded repetitive and talked below my level. I need help at home. None. Last name Stein. The office manager is Donlyn. Stay away.

The various art shows are wonderful and the classes are great. There's even a Gallery Gift shop…read morethat's open during the shows with handmade items like stained glass, ceramics, jewelry, wood and more. Plus there's free parking!

Right now, you can go to the Arts & Crafts Society to get your fix of handmade woodwork, pottery,…read morescarves, shirts, table runners, bottle stoppers, purses, jewelry boxes, vases, decorative plates, spoon rests, earrings, necklaces, watercolor paintings, and... I think that's about it. This month, the members have exhibited their wares - and everything's available for a very fair price. Perfect for getting that little "New England gift" for a family member. The staff is really friendly and talkative, asking lots of questions and giving you advice on how to make your own homemade things. Also, classes are available in everything from jewelry making to ceramics (hand building AND wheel throwing!), woodworking to knitting. Very nice, and perfect for those with too much energy.