Tag Archive for: #repaircafe

TownTalk: Repair Cafe Is This Saturday In Oxford

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Give new life to that coffee maker taking up space on your pantry shelf – you know the one, the one with a broken switch. And pull out that vacuum cleaner from the back of the closet. Yeah, the one that needs a new belt.

Bring them to the Repair Café Saturday in Oxford. Don Fick says chances are, you – with the help of a knowledgeable coach – will be able to fix those small household appliances that need some attention, but aren’t quite ready for the landfill.

Repair Café is setting up shop at Oxford United Methodist Church, 105 W. McClanahan from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Please sign up for an appointment at https://www.repaircafenc.org/events/oxford-june24; the last check-in is at 4 p.m., he said.

Fick joined WIZS’s Bill Harris on Wednesday’s TownTalk and said the workshop is free to attend – they ask for reimbursement on the parts that may be used to fix whatever you bring in.

Usually, folks bring in things like lamps that need a new socket, small kitchen appliances or even stereo equipment – items for which repair shops often don’t exist.

The coaches and volunteers take a look at newer devices like flatscreen TVs, and if they don’t have the parts, the coaches can at least recommend where to find them. They don’t usually tackle cell phones or computers since there are places where those items can be taken for repair.

But the Repair Café is not limited to electronics or things that need to be plugged in – there are volunteers who can help with repairs from everything from clothing and jewelry to furniture more, Fick said.

“The rule of thumb is, if you can pick it up with two hands,” it’s ok to bring in for an evaluation.

Fick first learned of the Repair Café concept when he lived in New York, and when he moved to North Carolina he got involved with the “movement” in the Raleigh and Durham area.

“We want to push back against that temptation” to chuck something in the trash at the first sign of malfunction or failure.

Often, a quick fix or replacement part is all that’s needed “to prolong the life of the item, save money and save the trouble of going out and buying a new one,” he said.

Sometimes, the coaches will see a family heirloom that needs a little TLC.

“We can breathe a little new life for the next generation to enjoy,” Fick said.

Walk-ins are always welcome. Interested guests and prospective volunteers are encouraged to contact the organizers with any questions by email repaircafenc@gmail.com.

 

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Repair Café Coming To Oxford June 24

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Let’s face it: we’ve probably all got some item in our homes that just doesn’t work like it used to – it’s broken, but it’s not SO broken that you’re ready to throw it away.

Mark June 24 on your calendar and bring that item to the Repair Café workshop in Oxford.

Repair Café is bringing its free workshop to Oxford United Methodist Church from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 24, according to Don Fick, a resident of Oxford who is organizing the event.

The idea is simple: Individuals bring common household items and receive repair assistance from volunteer coaches. Items commonly seen at Repair Café are lamps, tabletop appliances, furniture, toys and jewelry. A wide variety of tools and talented repair coaches are on-hand to demonstrate repair techniques in collaboration with item owners. With only basic repair parts and no assistance from manufacturers, Repair Cafés typically see 65 percent of items go home fully repaired.

“As we emerge from the challenges of the pandemic, people are recognizing that basic repair skills are essential to building resilience, saving money, and conserving natural resources,” Fick said.

The global repair movement has embraced the Repair Café concept of community members freely helping their neighbors learn to repair and maintain common household items, extending their useful life, and reducing the burden of unnecessary consumption and waste. Recent appearances on NBC’s Today, NPR’s Weekend Edition, and the New York Times’ Wirecutter are raising awareness of the work being done in communities large and small across the US and around the world.

Online registration is recommended at https://www.repaircafenc.org/events/oxford-june24. Walk-ins are always welcome. Interested guests and prospective volunteers are encouraged to contact the organizers with any questions by email (repaircafenc@gmail.com).

Oxford United Methodist Church is located at 105 W McClanahan St.

See the full list of upcoming events at https://www.repaircafenc.org/upcoming-events.

TownTalk: Repair Cafe Event Coming To Granville County

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Don Fick of Repair Cafe NC discusses how his organization repairs many daily household items keeping them out of local landfills.

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Just because the button on your household gizmo is broken doesn’t mean it needs to go straight to the landfill – it may just need a quick trip to a RepairCafé workshop. There’s one coming up Saturday in Durham, but Don Fick and his crew are coming to Granville County in September.

Fick and Teresa Baker, the county’s recycling and sustainability coordinator, held an interest meeting last week in Oxford and have since scheduled a workshop for Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Granville County Expo Center. Fick joined Bill Harris on Wednesday’s Town Talk to talk about what RepairCaféNC is and what it does.

At its simplest, Fink said, RepairCafé workshops consist of a group of folks who get together and share repair skills to fix broken items that others bring in.  There is no charge for the labor, although guests may be asked to reimburse for replacement parts that are used.

In today’s society, disposable items are everywhere – things that once were made to last a long time are now easily – and more economically – replaced. But that “stuff” has to go somewhere. And, usually, that means a landfill.

“The money that the county has to spend to dump a ton of waste is only going up,” Fick said. Individuals don’t really have to think about that, he added. “We toss it in the trash can and the truck comes and picks it up and we never see it again.”

Fick said a mission of RepairCafé is to reduce the amount of waste consumers generate that ends up in landfills. When a lamp stops working and it’s not the light bulb that’s the problem, someone who lacks confidence about making repairs may choose to toss it. But that same lamp may find new life in the hands of one of the RepairCafé “coaches.”

Fick said the volunteers have a 65 percent success rate of fixing the items that they work on. They see a lot of lamps, as well as vacuum cleaners, electronic equipment, necklaces and children’s toys.

He cited one example of a woman who brought in a music box – a gift from her grandmother – that had long ago ceased playing.

“She sat with two of our coaches and together they meticulously cleaned it, lubricated it, worked very carefully on realigning some bent pieces of metal. And after an hour’s work, it was playing music again,” Fick recalled. “We were able to restore her cherished possession,” and she got to share her story and her relationship with her grandmother.

“We’re doing more than fixing stuff,” Fick said. “We’re helping people reconnect with memories and we’re showing appreciation for the stories they bring.”

Fick said the group is looking for volunteers for the Granville County workshop. The volunteer coaches simply have an interest or curiosity of how things work, he said, and have a skill set for making repairs.

The Durham workshop will be held at The Scrap Exchange from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.repaircafe.org to learn more or to register to attend a workshop.