A Detroit engineer saw the need and acted on it

You can customize your closets

Professional organizer shares some tricks

It’s time to step up your game inside your home with new designs and styles.

Two of Michigan's largest Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters are joining to create BBBS of Southeast Michigan.

Here's who was recognized this year by United Way of Washtenaw County for their efforts in advocating, giving, volunteering and promoting equity in area communities.

Longtime administrator at the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Lori Zupan recently retired after 35 years of service to the organization.

As the new year begins, it’s a great time to consider where we are and where we want to go.

Celebrate 50 years of Project Grow at its annual tomato tasting.

The OPEC oil cartel and its allies has decided to boost production in September by a much slower pace than in previous months.

The American Association of University Women's Ann Arbor chapter is hosting a book drive through July 30.

66% of this year’s funds went to organizations in Ypsilanti and eastern Washtenaw County.

Be aware of multiple road closures during this year's Big House 5K.

Area farmers can now apply for funding through the Washtenaw County Black Farmers Fund.

Maybe you’re working from home and it’s feeling cluttered, or the space for the kids and their schoolwork could use a little attention.

A local parent organization is pressuring Macomb County health officials to provide more details for COVID-19 school numbers in the area.

A local parent organization is pressuring Macomb County health officials to provide more details for COVID-19 school numbers in the area.

A local parent organization is pressuring Macomb County health officials to provide more details for COVID-19 school numbers in the area.

Head over to Burns Park on Sunday for a free community event supporting ALS awareness.

Food Gatherers has distributed millions of pounds of food this past year.

Many people love having a clean, organized space. Cleaning your home may have some positive impact on your mental health too.

A local boy scout troop raised food and funds for the community in honor of a scout who was killed in a tragic car accident.

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Grant recipients are helping to create a safety net of health and human services for community members, UWWC said.

SafeHouse Center is accepting donations ahead of a cycling challenge on Saturday.

It looks like the snow might be gone for good, which means it’s time to start thinking about spring cleaning. Often the biggest question about spring cleaning is where to start. For Crocker, cleaning out the closet is the best place to start, since clearing out space means she’ll get to revamp her wardrobe for the season. Cleaning out space in the spring also means making room for new tech. Hall said that for him the change in season means a new bike and new stuff for the car.

The entryway is the first thing you see when you walk in, it sets the tone for the whole house. Create a “Drop Zone”Like I mentioned, the first thing I do when I walk in is drop everything, and that is a habit not likely to change. Sections of the drop zone can include things like keys, mail, masks, and maybe seasonal items like sunglasses or hats and gloves. AdConsider who can reach whatIf you have kids living at your house, they are going to be able to reach different things than you are. Put things you need and grab often at around shoulder height, easy to grasp.

Students march at the 38th annual Take Back the Night Ann Arbor on April 6, 2016 (Photo: Ruby Wallah)ANN ARBOR – The 43rd annual Take Back the Night Ann Arbor rally and march will take place this year on April 1 on the Diag at the University of Michigan. The annual event is focused on raising awareness of sexual violence and supporting survivors. TBTN Ann Arbor masks will be available at no cost. TBTN Ann Arbor T-shirts can be purchased ahead of time at http://tbtnannarbor.org/store. Following the rally, organizers will lead attendees on a march through the streets of Ann Arbor.

United Way of Washtenaw County's offices at 2305 Platt Rd. ANN ARBOR – United Way of Washtenaw County has announced it is accepting applications for its new Opportunity Fund for local nonprofit programs. The $200,000 fund will support organizations whose work serves residents with low incomes, people of color and systemically and/or historically marginalized people. To review eligibility guidelines and to apply for an FY21 Opportunity Fund grant, click here. The fund is for new and emerging programs and not for sustaining ongoing local organizations.

ANN ARBOR – A new documentary by Washtenaw My Brother’s Keeper will premiere virtually on Sunday through a screening hosted by the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation at 4 p.m. Directed by Fred Culpepper, the film documents the experience of Black men in Washtenaw County, from hopes to conflicts to thoughts and worries. Viewers will get a rare glimpse of openness and vulnerability -- and an open space where young Black men speak freely about their views and experiences, and share with mentors and peers in the community. Reminder that Washtenaw My Brother's Keeper (WMBK) documentary premieres this Sunday virtually at AAACF! AdThe partnership with WMBK has helped to guide AAACF’s EmpowerMENt Fund, which focuses on educational success and the uplifting of young Black men in Washtenaw County.

ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor Public Art Commission has opened nominations for its newly-revived annual Golden Paintbrush Awards. This year’s award aims to recognize community members of all ages and organizations who promote creativity in the city’s publicly visible spaces. “Awards will be given for art which demonstrates collaboration and excellence and, as the commission explains, adds a bit of magic to our daily life,” the commission announced in a press release. Winners will be selected by a panel of residents and leaders in the arts, business and education communities in Ann Arbor. The Golden Paintbrush Awards recognize and encourage innovative civic engagement and demonstrate an appreciation for the numerous public art displays in Ann Arbor.

(Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan)Girls on the Run Spring 2021 programming will practice enhanced safety measures due to the pandemic. ANN ARBOR – Registration will be opening soon for Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan’s spring season. This will be the organization’s 19th spring season, and its purpose goes far beyond running. Virtual programming will be available for the Spring 2021 season. (Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan)The program begins the week of March 22 and lasts eight weeks.

Pizza Prep School in the Domino's Pizza World Resource Center in Ann Arbor. The advertiser paid a fee to promote this sponsored article and may have influenced or authored the content. ANN ARBOR – One way to reflect on a regional economy is to check out the top employers and their industries, including public and private organizations. Here’s the latest list identifying the top employers in Washtenaw County compiled by Ann Arbor SPARK. Ann Arbor SPARK updates the list annually in January.

Ann Arbor SPARK compiles list of the largest employers in Washtenaw County.

For some helpful advice, I turned to Lauren Combs, a professional organizer and the owner of Neat Method Detroit. You should place everything that goes in and out of your dishwasher frequently (think plates, glasses, silverware), within arm’s reach of the dishwasher. Consider putting all your cooking utensils in a drawer or in a jar right next to the stove. Put zones you use most frequently at eye level, and zones you use less often further out of reach. You can organize within the zones as well putting your most frequently used items in front, and least-used items in the back.

Andrea Wolf, who has been in the organizing business for 15 years, said January is one of her busiest time of the year. “Always start with a blank slate,” Wolf added. “In order to get that blank slate, that means you’ve got to go through and touch everything in that closet. “If your space needs to be re-imagined from where it was before, we can look at it with a blank slate,” Wolf said. Wolf advised not to go out and buy items that you likely will not need once you’ve cleaned your space.

There is an organization here in Detroit that is working in neighborhoods to help local kids discover their brilliant selves. Brilliant Detroit works with local youths to help better their education and opportunities. Mitch Albom profiled the organization back in 2018 for his Heart of Detroit Series. It is now in 13 neighborhoods in the Detroit area and that feat is in no small part due to Cindy Eggleton, the founder of Brilliant Detroit. In the video above, Eggleton spoke to Tati Amare about her organization’s growth and their mission to make sure a zip code does not determine a child’s success.

When the pandemic hit many of us had to pivot immediately and create offices in whatever corner of our house we could find. Now, many months in, you may be like me, looking around and realizing... this place is a mess. For help, we turn to Lauren Combs, a professional organizer and the owner of Neat Method Detroit to get her advice on how to make our at-home offices and classrooms work for us.

ANN ARBOR – In mid-November, it was announced that Recycle Ann Arbor received significant investments to rebuild its materials sorting facility that had been closed since 2016. Recycle Ann Arbor came up with the rest in the largest-ever fundraising effort for the 40-year-old organization. CEO of Recycle Ann Arbor, Bryan Ukena, said the new state-of-the-art facility will eliminate the need to send the city’s recyclables across state lines. Recycle Ann Arbor will be using the shell of that building for its new facility, and will install all new equipment. The land is owned by the city, and Recycle Ann Arbor has a ground lease to lease the land and outer building.

ANN ARBOR – Members of the local Boy Scout Troop 27 will be on hand Saturday at the St. Francis Parish Food Drive to help donors move groceries from their cars to the church from 2-6 p.m.Members of the National Eagle Scout Association NESA Alumni of Michigan will also be on site. Scouts will be in uniform at the front of the church for those who need assistance. The St. Francis Parish Food Drive is running now through Sunday. To sign up to make deliveries to these organizations on Sunday, click here. St. Francis of Assisi Parish is at 2250 E. Stadium Blvd.

ANN ARBOR – United Way of Washtenaw County has announced a new grant round totaling $69,000 for local organizations meeting critical needs of community members impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest rounds are in addition to the $90,000 that was previously granted through UWWC’s COVID-19 Recovery Fund. The total amount invested by UWWC is area relief and recovery efforts is $1.2 million. Its Recovery Fund was launched to help local organizations help those most in need during the pandemic -- particularly those who have lost income or employment as a result of the health crisis. UWWC recently received a $500,000 state grant from the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities to help disperse its COVID-19 Relief Funding.

ANN ARBOR – In response to the changing local business climate, Oxford Companies has launched a new collection of commercial office units with a simplified leasing process and move-in ready amenities. Located throughout the city, each “Oxford Instant Office” is equipped with Wi-Fi access and is refreshed with carpeting and brand-new paint. “When it comes to leasing office space, organizations are more likely than ever to value flexibility, simplicity, and great service," Oxford Companies CEO Jeff Hauptman said in a statement. “That’s what we’re aiming to provide with the Oxford Instant Office.”According to Oxford Companies, each lease is short-form and easy-to-understand. The leases are as short as six months and are designed to offer business owners and organizations a chance to move in quickly.

Toward the beginning of the pandemic, a study showed that the SARS-Cov-2 virus can survive on cardboard for as long as 24 hours and on stainless steel for about 72 hours. Figuring out how long a contagious virus can survive on human skin isn’t an easy challenge as not many people are willing to have live SARS-CoV-2 smeared on them just for science. That’s why Japanese researchers used an unusual alternative -- human skin collected at autopsy about 24 hours after death. What they found was significant -- the SARS-CoV-2 virus could survive on human skin for nine hours -- significantly longer than the roughly two hours that the flu virus could remain a threat. More: More than just hand washing -- Teaching your children how to be clean, organizedMore: Coronavirus outbreak: How to wash your hands correctly

ANN ARBOR – Akshara, an Ann Arbor-based Indian arts organization, will present its annual Rasa Festival virtually for the first time in October. Each weekend throughout the month, Indian-inspired multi-arts performances will be released on the organization’s Facebook and YouTube channels. “This year, so much is different around us, yet the process of making art and its presentation has had to adapt, like everything else," said Akshara’s artistic director Sreyashi Dey in a statement. "We have had to migrate to virtual platforms to reach our audiences. All performances will premiere on the Akshara YouTube channel and Facebook page from 11 a.m. to noon during the festival.

DETROIT The Rochester based organization, Leader Dogs For the Blind, helps the blind and visually impaired get pets that help them with safe and independent travel daily. This weeks episode of All 4 Pets features more information on the group and its free services. For more information on Leader Dogs For the Blind or to donate, click here.

DETROIT Teaching your children about cleanliness during the COVID-19 pandemic goes beyond proper hand washing. I think its really important for children to have a very organized environment, Weinstein said. Whats really important to you and then help the child learn how to make decisions about whats important to keep and whats important to let go, Weinstein said. RELATED: How to teach your children etiquette, manners while stuck at homeFor teenagers, tweens and even older children who might be home from college, let them take control. You can find more information on Weinsteins business, Ive Gotta Get Organized, Inc., on its official website here.

ANN ARBOR Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton has been elected as a founding member of a new nationwide organization and think tank that aims to steer policy in the criminal justice field. According to its mission statement:The Council on Criminal Justice advances understanding of the criminal justice policy choices facing the nation and builds consensus for solutions that enhance safety and justice for all. We believe a fair and effective criminal justice system is essential to democracy and a core measure of our nations well-being. The Councils advisory Board of Trustees is co-chaired by Mark Holden of Koch Industries and former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. Jerry BrownFormer Philadelphia Mayor Michael NutterVan Jones of CNNSheriff Clayton was nominated by Trustees and Directors and elected by the Councils Board of Directors.

ANN ARBOR – Update: Sava’s reopened on Oct. 29 with limited hours and staff. She said her managers were "very vague about" the investigation, and that it ultimately did not substantiate her account. Upon her departure, Parow said she was given a $500 paid time off check and signed a two-page "logistics" document. Here's the original post:Parow's original post has been shared more than 400 times, with messages of support and calls for a boycott of SavCo's businesses. For her part, owner Sava Lelcaj published a message on Sava's Facebook page addressing the situation, which was later taken down.