Repair Café returns to New Hamburg March 28

Grace Locke works on sewing repairs during a recent Repair Café event. Contributed photo

By Amanda Nelson

After two successful Repair Cafés in November and January, the Nith Valley Ecoboosters (NVEB) will host another on March 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Zion United Church fellowship hall, 215 Peel St., New Hamburg.

Repair Cafés are open to community members looking to bring in small household mechanical and woodworking repairs, mending for clothing, knit and crochet items, jewellery and book repairs. Most materials, tools and safety items will be provided.

Volunteer “fixers” will be able to repair broken items to give them a new lease on life. Those who bring in items will also work with the fixers to learn how to mend and repair items themselves.

Not only is the Repair Café aimed at helping to fix used household items, it’s also a way to collaborate and connect with the community, says Ashley Ropp, NVEB volunteer.

“It’s also supposed to be more of a way to connect to each other, too,” she said. “We’re teaching people how to fix their broken items, but we’re also creating community, getting to have conversations and getting to pass on these skills.”

This free, in-person community event is intended to reduce waste, pass on valuable skills and foster community.

“We’re coming at it from the environmental perspective, specifically something like a coffee maker, for instance,” said Ropp. “Instead of throwing it out and buying a new one, when the hinge breaks, you first consider if the coffee maker can be fixed, and most of the time it can. This way, there is less waste and you’re also not giving money to some of these big corporations that are more often than not very unethical and unsustainable.”

There will be refreshments and resources on repairs and sustainability. Most tools are provided; however, if attendees have an item requiring specialized materials or tools, NVEB encourages people to bring them along.

The Repair Café movement, which started in Amsterdam and has spread globally, is gaining traction across Ontario. NVEB will continue to host events throughout the year. For more information, visit www.nvecoboosters.com