Community Resources for Always Useful MA

Always Useful

• Weather
• When is the next bus or T coming?
• SmarTraveler Traffic advisory
• MassDOT Traffic webcams
• MBTA updates
• US Food Safety recalls
• Tick born diseases: Babesiosis & Lyme disease
• Information on EEE and West Nile Virus, including a map of areas affected

• Searching for a campsite and want to see what it looks like? CampsitePhotos.com has pictures of individual campsites at [some] state and national parks. Very helpful!
• Most camping reservations we've made have been through ReserveAmerica
• MA State Parks, descriptive info, trail maps
• Mass Audubon
• Trustees of Reservations
• A personal apple picking blog

• Sell or recycle used electronic equipment
• General swapping website
• Car Sharing service RelayRides
• Offer or borrow sleeping on someone's couch when traveling
• With Skillshare, learn a skill, teach a skill, in a real class

• Mass Energy for group oil buying
• Looking for a national company's customer service number? Contact Help
• Where to call if you are trying to Get A Human to answer the phone at a big company
• Which Product to buy? ConsumerSearch analyzes input from multiple sources
• Replacing a dishwasher? New electrical rules in MA since 2014 might impose expensive electrical work

Teen Opportunities

• MassTLC launched a new internship service March 2012 with an excellent selection of internships
• Look for internships at Internmatch and UrbanInterns
• Teen resources on job searches, internships, summer programs and volunteering at TeenLife.com
• Teen study abroad programs

• Keep clicking to find interesting resources and advice on CareerFuel.net

• Register with Stop and Shop's A+ School Rewards program and earn money for your local schools. Or call 1-877-275-2758
• VolunteerSignup.org is a free service to sign up volunteers for an event, online
• United Way's searchable database of volunteer opportunities in MA
• Search for planets and supernovae on your home computer
• Manage volunteers for a big event on SignUpGenius.com

• NeighborBrigade organizes local volunteer networks that support people as they face a health crisis
• Caregiver resources
• The ZaggoCare Resource Kit helps families navigate the health care system in times of medical crisis. The charity donates all proceeds to brain cancer research
• Borrow medical equipment, free, in Malden MA, Saturdays 9AM-12PM. E.g. canes, blanket supports, over-the-bed tables, walkers, forearm crutches, commodes, wheelchairs, hoyer lifts, hospital beds and whirlpools for foot or arm.

Gardening

• Green Space Boston Meg Muckenhoupt website with garden tours and gardening related events. Covers Boston, Cambridge & many neighboring communities.

• Here's an easy-to-read summary of the status of all kinds of flies, wasps and beetles that eat invasive plants in Massachusetts.

Transportation

• When is the next bus coming?
• SmarTraveler Traffic advisory
• MassDOT Traffic webcams
• MBTA updates
• MA Car Inspection stations shop locator
• Car Sharing servic Turo.com lets you rent out the car you do not use or rent someone else's car for a day.
• MA gov provides a car insurance calculator that lets you model the cost of auto insurance across approved auto insurers in MA. Pretty cool downloadable Excel spreadsheet can help you save a lot.
• Learn how to drive in snow, ice and rain. Non-profit drive In-Control is dedicated to teaching driving safely in difficult conditions

State Government

If you want to know what bills are about to be voted on or what's happening in State Government, check State House News