My first time at the Goodwill Bins went a little too well... definitely had the thickest stack of…read morefinds compared to my 2 friends. We went during a cloudy afternoon so it was the perfect activity. I got to observe the new bin rush from the side, and later participate in one as well. I get people are enthusiastic even outside the new bin drops, but some large parties kept hogging side sections when I was trying to go through them in a flow. I kept thinking about other things I wanted to see/do in the Twin Cities though so couldn't lock in to the level I really wanted. Next time I'll need to spend a whole day here and be more liberal with my narrowing down step. Unfortunately not trying on everything at my friend's apartment wasn't a good idea because now I'm back in Texas and some items don't fit right.

The goodwill outlet center / "bins" is quite the experience haha. You can tell a lot of people are…read morethere all the time and are "professionals", but I still enjoyed it as a casual thrifter! There are rows of bins, probably 40-60 in the store, and they are filled with clothes, household items, shoes, games, etc! At first glance most of it is less then appealing, but there are definitely hidden gems in these bins! I walked away with a jacket and top for my partner and pants for me! No dressing rooms. There are a ton of people there typically too, so be prepared to be in close proximity and searching bins together! Some of the bins smelled and overarchingly the experience is a little gross when you think about it too long haha. Being gloves if you want and wash up after, you'll be fine! They switch out the bins maybe every 30mins-1 hour, and this is when you find the best stuff that hasn't been picked over. The staff was friendly enough. I was surprised by the prices. You pay by the pound, which is cool! I still expected it to cost less though haha. It was roughly $4/piece for everything I got. Again nothing crazy and good prices for thrifting, but I still expected it to be "dirt cheap" given these items are at their final destination. Overall it's a place I'll come once or twice a year to mix up my thrifting :)

Fireweed Community Woodshop is a welcoming space that provides classes and open studio time for…read morewoodworking. They have many classes that can be taken by anyone, but also have courses specifically for women, BIPOC, and LGBT+ learners to empower folks who have been historically left out of this art. The introductory spindle turning class was so much fun and the instructor did a great job teaching us how to use the lathe to create our own rolling pin. There are memberships as well if you'd like to attend open studio time to use their tools, and they also have a shop to purchase woodworking supplies. Check this place out if you are looking to try something new!

Great finds and great prices! $0 .99 crystal pieces that match my set!! Incredible!!!read more

This is a great store for those who are improving/repairing their homes. We came here for the first…read moretime to see what they have and I could see that it's a great place to get things that cost less than retail. There was furniture there for living and dining room that looked pretty good. I would certainly consider ReStore when I'm in the market for a dining room set. I am considering changing what I've got. We didn't interact with any staff, as it wasn't necessary. They all seemed to be friendly and were helping various customers throughout the store.

Had such a great time volunteering here with SGAD!! I've volunteered with Surly at the Roseville…read morelocation before doing a hanger sort. This location was a bit different. We did a napkin and placemat sort/pairing, some people got to match the sets to a set of dishes so when people come to grab them they can have a whole set. This location seemed a bit tighter space wise than the other location but it worked out for us spreading out. Staff were nice and helpful when we had questions.

I would tell them not to turn down wonderful pieces of furniture. I had a beautiful Bernhardt sofa…read morethat barely was used and they turned it down with a Thomas ville oak dining room table six chairs. They don't bother to even look at pictures and then ask you to pay for moving. With so many people without homes or furniture, how can they do that.

Awesome experience! A perfect venue for a fun team building session or networking event for large…read moregroups, while simultaneously providing a service for our community. Location was inconvenient for me as it was a 45 minute drive, but the friendly and helpful staff, combined with their large and beautiful facilities made it worthwhile. Second Harvest Heartland was easy to work with. Their online reservation system made it easy to see which time slots could accommodate us. We were even able to use their large meeting room space to host a 2 hour lunch and networking event prior to our volunteering session. The large room included 2 screens for projecting presentations from your laptop, sound system with microphone and a strong and free WiFi. All of this was of great value to our group! As one of the leaders of Asian Professionals Alliance in MN (APAM), we brought together 70 volunteers from across APAM member companies: 3M, Best Buy, Cargill, General Mills, Medtronic, Target & US Bank. Not only was this venue large enough to accommodate our large group, they were so organized, gave us great instruction and constantly kept the workplace clean, comfortable. They had 6 computers at the entrance for each individual to register for the event. Half of our group boxed care packages for senior citizens while the other half worked to inspect and package 40 pound bags of potatoes for food shelves across the country. My favorite part is that they share the results of your volunteer efforts at the end of your shift. I would absolutely recommend this place for volunteering sessions - for individuals, small groups and large groups!

I had a lot of fun volunteering at second harvest. They are very organized. It's a lot of physical…read morework, but you get a lot done for a worthy cause. I've done two shifts so far and there are a few different projects depending on their needs. So it's not the same thing every time.

I am honestly horrified that it took me until 2024 to find this place (it was an accident- I was…read morewalking to an event at Day Block Brewing and was caught by the window displays). Once I got home, I Googled my walking route to find out what this magical place was, and lo! There is a cafe inside, there is a gift shop, a book shop, AND they offer classes. I signed up for an adult community education class to learn more about bookbinding, and had a blast. I learned many fun technical terms (read: throw up. Yes, really). Pictures of my first amateur creation included. I highly recommend the classes, as they stive to make everyone of all ages and abilities feel welcome. I got there a full 30 minutes early one night just to be able to browse the giftshop, which contains not only a plethora of bookbinding materials and supplies (which are pretty niche) but creations by local artists and just cool book-themes things in general. I will definitely shop there for gifts for my other book-obsessed friends. Bring a buddy and go check it out, or bring a book and just go chill in the cafe on a day when you don't feel like interacting with humanity.

Truthfully, I visited because I heard about the gift shop from social media and was blown away. The…read moreshop features a ton of local artists, and artists from marginalized communities. They have a huge selection of zines, prints, and greeting cards. I ended up getting four greeting cards and two stickers, but I would've absolutely gone home with more if my bank account allowed for it.

Kind of an incomparable place. Supplies, teget ¹xtiles, tools, classes, social events, and not…read moresure what else. Many of the people here speak a subculture specific jargon, and yet beginners are very welcome. I've found this inclusivity to be a characteristic of institutions run by women.

Free street parking. Bonus points for sure…read more This place was very lovely, you ring the buzzer to get buzzed in and you get to explore the wonderful creations from so many artists using many styles of art. These were like some I have never seen before and it made me realize why fashion icons love their work. It was neat and clean, and customer service was informative

After closing our lake cabin for the season we had way too many pantry items. I had never donated…read morehere before but very happy that I found a place that helps to end hunger locally (serving Dakota County). I will be back as the process was easy and fuss-free.