we brought more items to the repair cafe this evening. One was an item we'd taken apart to clean,…read morebut couldn't figure out how to put it back together! Embarrassing for us, but Adam handled it well. A great attribute of these volunteers is that they don't judge, and they really do want to teach you how to fix something yourself. for the current schedude: https://thetoollibrary.org/daretorepair/. although they appreciate your registering in advance, it's not mandatory.

We have been members for a few years now. There are years when we only borrow a few tools, and…read moreyears when we use a lot more. Even when we only borrow a couple of tools, its still worth it. Plus the minimal charge you pay helps your community too. The staff are always friendly, and they have anything and everything you will need, and totally beats buying it for a one-time use or renting it from one of those other stores which charge you more for one item than the membership at The Tool Library.

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!

Just used the pick-up and delivery laundry service. Rosemary was an absolute delight to work with…read more She made the process simple and straightforward, picked up and delivered everything timely, and was kind and understanding. She did a great job with the laundry itself and at a very reasonable cost. Highly recommend!

The facility is clean, the people are friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this…read morebusiness.

'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.

This place should be renamed, friends of the drug addicted. So I went to DSS thinking maybe I could…read moreget help with photo identification since I'm out of work temporarily, and funds are extremely tight. They sent me here. I arrived after lunch, around 11am. I spoke to them through an intercom system, and they said they would be with me temporarily. After waiting about 45 minutes of nobody coming out, I waited. The whole time homeless people were outside getting high, and congregating, waiting to use their showers. So I attempted to continue waiting. Some homeless man approached me and told me: you've been standing here for almost an hour just looking around. "If you keep looking my way, I'm gonna stick you" were his remarks. Branding a small pocket knife, I knew that he was serious about his intentions, and had some serious mental issues. So let's just say I didn't stick around. Long story short, if anyone tells you this place might help you, I wouldn't believe it. If you're homeless and need help, definitely use this place as a last resort, and go here at your own risk! Try the Buffalo city mission. It's safer, and people who actually care will help you.

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.....

Haven't been since they changed locations. Nice to see that this store is bigger. Wasn't greeted…read morewhen I entered but neither were some others. I believe every customer is important. The store was beat but the staff left little to be desired. I left with nothing but found it odd when a guy who bought a cart full of things wasn't offered a bag. Not sure if they ran out because he had to make multiple trips to his car.

Nice, well organized and clean. Plenty of parking. The employees were all very friendly. They have…read morea wide variety of items with clothing being the biggest (not surprising). Didn't see much in the way of Bills football, probably because most people in the region wear this stuff until it disintegrates. They are very loyal fans!

If you haven't ever done a Habitat for Humanity build, I recommend checking it out. It is a great…read moreway to give back to the community while building up your own skills for home repair and construction. Because of them I've learned how to measure and put up interior walls, strap ceiling joists, put on siding, stuff insulation, and hang drywall. I've done Habitat builds across the US and Canada, so I'm rating it based on compared to the other chapters, but overall HfH gets 5-stars. I feel like the Buffalo chapter is still finding its feet in terms of volunteer coordination communication and sign-ups. You have to Google the calendar in order to find it, otherwise it tries to get you to complete the waiver (again) each time. That would be my one complaint. Otherwise the build lead at the build I went to last Saturday was wonderful and it was nice to get to work with a crew of individuals who volunteer every weekend.