CommuniTree Buffalo is easy to use, free, and beneficial to all of those around Buffalo. This…read moreapplication was created to connect volunteers with non-profits such as soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and camps for children with disabilities. CommuniTree is free to use, both for non-profits and prospective volunteers. I am a huge proponent of CommuniTree and I would love to see it grow! I strongly recommend passing this website on to friends and family.

Harvest. House is an amazing non-profit. They offer a wide range of services and excel at each…read more Charity Navigator rates them at 96/100. For every dollar donated, $.96 goes to client benefits. Amazing!

terrible place....staff (medical students) jokes and talks while patients wait hours....terrible…read morecommunication on wait times, treatments, etc....go to er instead.....

I stopped by to drop off adoption application paperwork, and cuddled all kitties within reach…read more Board members will now review the application, and when I get a green light, it's good for six months. The cost of the adoption covers rabies/distemper shots, deworming, a flea treatment, and the placement of an RFID, as well as the usual spay/neuter. We had passed a farm earlier in the week with a sign, "Free Kittens"; it was only by doing the calculations of all the eventual costs that made it possible to resist.

Awesome people! Great animals! Slow moving animals but they are respectful and helpfulread more

Lots of rides for the kids, games galore and more food than previous years. Kind of hard to judge…read morethis event this year due to the weather. Everyone had the same idea that I did, avoid the rain and go on Friday night. The place was so packed, I walked around once and left, got my chair and enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display.

I wish 3.5 stars were an option. Ventured here on Friday night with 4 adults and 3 kids ages 6, 3…read more1/2, & 3. We walked from a family member's house, but parking would not have been an issue. They were strict about start time being 6:00 p.m. the ticket line was big by5:50 when we arrived. There were a few big rides our kids we're too small for, including a sky high corn popper, ferris wheel, and ufo. Our kids liked the climbing maze, carousel, boats, and especially the giant pink slide. I appreciated that there was no charge for parents to accompany little ones on rides. This also means I got to ride the awesome Dizzy Dragons ride, which is similar to Disney world tea cups. Food was okay. Basic pizza at &3 per slice was fair. Treat prices were high to me, though. $5 cotton candy or $3 for 3 chocolate covered strawberries seemed like a lot. We headed out around 7:30 as rain started to sprinkle and big crowds of teenagers arrived. Overall, a nice time.

I'm a huge supporter of the work Ten Lives Club does to take care of, and find homes for, thousands…read moreof cats every year. They also host a variety of fundraisers throughout the year, which is why I recently visited the main shelter to pickup a basket I won from the virtual meat raffle. While I was there, all the employees (or volunteers) were busy doing something to take care of the cats. A few were in the parking lot cleaning carriers, the desk attendant was answering a woman's questions about a cat, and another came by to quickly retrieve my basket. During the short time I waited, I said hi to a few cats in stacked carriers near the entrance which I assume was temporary. The only reason I deducted a star was due to the overwhelming smell inside. I understand it's an old building with carpeting, so I'm excited that they're building a new cat campus and hope it will have a better air filtering system to make visiting the main shelter a more enjoyable experience.

After a patient cancellation last week, I stopped by PetSmart to run a quick errand -- and…read moreunexpectedly came home with a new family member! Ten Lives was hosting a pop-up event featuring adoptable cats, and as I walked past the glass, a little Tuxedo kitten pawed and playfully chased after me. That was it -- he was mine! The adoption process took a little while, but only because a volunteer was training someone new. I completed all the paperwork easily through my phone and their iPad, and everything was explained thoroughly. I also love that Ten Lives offers a 14-day post-adoption vet service -- I've already used it since Wasabi (that's his name!) came home with a small kitty cold and a slight hernia. I can't say enough good things about this wonderful non-profit cat adoption agency. If you have a moment, check out their website -- you'll instantly fall in love with all the sweet photos of their adoptable cats. And if an adoption doesn't work out, they will always welcome the cats back with open arms.

Here's my lovin' to Friends of Night People: I always use smile.amazon.com as a super easy way to…read morecontribute to this amazing organization. I designed Friends of Night People as where I want the money to go and voila! done and done. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com

'friends', has been a key factor in helping me survive fifteen (15) months of being unhoused…read more They provide good quality and nutritious meals, hygene supplies, as well as clothing, laundy and showers. Awesome staff treats you like youre real people, and gives referrals for anything they dont provide. When i'm at friends, i feel safe, warm, and part of a community.

I never skip a chance to visit a thrift store, and Amvets is one of our favorites…read more We are still school shopping, and we found more Buffalo Bills team logo clothing for the children. Their elementary school celebrates Buffalo Bills team every Friday during the football season. Why buy brand new when you can find almost for significantly less money! The men's department yielded up a dozen brand new basketball shorts with the tag still on for only $4.99. We grabbed a good handful of those. All in all another, very successful trip to the Amvets Thrift Store.

Pretty messy and a lots of junk. Some treasure. Gotta dig for it. I grabbed a few summer shirts at…read morearound $5 a piece. The dressing room was pretty gross and not enough hanging hooks if you want to try on items. They do have specials by tag color and day of the week. Jewelry items are up front behind the counter. There are VHS tapes and cassette tapes, books and other items as well as tons of clothes.

Stopped in today for a fish fry, it came with 2 pieces of fish (breaded, beer battered, or a few…read morechoices of broiled), choice of potato (ff, baked or tater tots), and 2 sides (Mac salad, potato salad, coleslaw or lazy pierogi). I had the breaded fish, ff, lazy pierogi & coleslaw. I would pass on the fries next they were frozen fries I would definitely go with the baked or tater tots. The star of the plate would have to be the lazy pierogi, loaded with mushrooms & butter. The half fish is $18 and full is $22. Our bill came to $52 for 2 whole fish fries & four beers. The dining area could use a little more character but it's clean and the waitresses were attentive.

Came here last night for a meat raffle. This was a new experience for us and so much fun!…read more American Legion Halls always give me a warm feeling that includes early memories of my childhood and my Dad. He was always so proud of being a member. This particular hall is large and very clean, including the rest rooms. The bar for this event was serving free beer and pop. You could purchase mixed drinks for a nominal fee. The bartender was quick and friendly. The setup worked well for the meat raffle. The space can also be used/rented for other large gatherings. Thank you to all the veterans for your service. 2923-107

On the corner of Hertle and Commonwealth is Dress for Success. Open perhaps a week. Looks…read moreterrific. They take donations on Wednesday's. Boutique open afternoons weekdays. So if you have some good work clothes you don't use, consider dropping them here. Shoes and purses too.

I'm a big supporter of the International Institute. Not just because I know some of the staff…read more Because of the work they do. Because they are helping build a new Buffalo. Because they fight for the rights of all, not just immigrants. This annual fundraiser brings all sorts of Buffalonians together - those who've lived here their whole lives and some who came last week. It's price point is low, making it available for all. The event has food from around the world, so again, everyone will find something they like. They have various restaurants, from the Canadians making poutine to the Japanese with raw fish to chocolates from the native Buffalonians. Also, Chinese, Burmese, ice cream (Italian?), and more. There are also plenty of things available to purchase for yourself or gifts. All sorts of fun ethnic gifts from various shops around town. Great annual event.

We've been to the Buffalo without Borders event 2 or 3 years in a row now and it's a great event…read more There is a wide array of food options from "around the world." I love that you can try new places (e.g., we found a new German restaurant) or try different dishes from old favorites (e.g., Sun Restaurant) - where I usually get the pad thai but in the future will also be rotating in the delicious black rice dish. The event is nice in that there are a lot of options that your average person may not have experienced (e.g., Burmese, Ethiopian) mixed with things that are more mainstream - like potato pancakes from Germany or poutine from Canada. The only thing that keeps this event from being a 5-start is the seating situation. The event has gained in popularity and it can be hard to juggle the food. There are maybe half a dozen large round tables with chairs and another half dozen to a dozen cocktail tables. People who come with groups stake them out and stay the night. Even if the seat is empty it is not uncommon to be told that it is taken. Some of the dishes you can eat standing up but others (e.g., soup) are hard to eat without some sort of surface. (Thus, the lack of food photos from me...) I love that you get a map of the world and that you get stamped at each location you visit. Every year we try to make it to all the stops but there is always too much food to quite pull it off - even with some sharing. All around, a great event!