What to do with a broken toaster? Or with a bicycle when the wheel goes out of adjustment? Or with a sweater full of moth holes? Throw it away? Not at all! North Fork Environmental Council (NFEC) is hosting the first Repair Café at the Floyd Memorial Library (539 First Street) in Greenport on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
At the Repair Café, everything revolves around repairs. Various volunteer repair experts will be available to assist with any possible repairs free of charge. Tools and materials will also be available.
People visiting the Repair Café will bring their broken items from home. Toasters, lamps, hair dryers, clothes, bikes, toys, dishes… anything broken is welcome. And can more than likely be fixed. Repair Café volunteer repair coaches almost always have the know-how.
By promoting repairs, NFEC wants to help reduce the mountains of waste. It is absolutely necessary, according to Margaret de Cruz, who organized this Repair Café.
“We throw a lot of stuff in the United States. But how far are we? There is no Away except the Earth’s oceans and soil, and landfills,” she said. “Even things that are hardly abnormal, and could easily be reused after a simple repair, are thrown away. Unfortunately, many people have forgotten that they can get things fixed. Repair Café wants to change all that.
The Repair Café is also about connecting neighbors in a new way, and making people discover that there is a lot of know-how and know-how close to home.
“If you’re fixing a bike, CD player, or pants with a neighbor you weren’t familiar with before, you look at that person in a different light the next time you pass them on the street. Doing repairs together can lead to pleasant neighborhood contacts,” Ms. de Cruz said.
Repair saves money and resources, reduces unnecessary consumption and can help reduce CO2 emissions.
“But above all, Repair Café just wants to show how much fun fixing things can be and how easy it often is,” she said.
Besides needing things to fix, the Repair Café needs volunteer repair coaches and handymen with repair skills and tools if possible.
For more information or to volunteer, contact [email protected].
NFEC wants to regularly promote Repair Cafés in other North Fork locations. For more information on how to host one, contact [email protected] or check the NFEC1.org website for news on upcoming Repair Cafés.