Showerthought: the one Saturday I biked 11 miles to that repair cafe in Dayton and walked out with 4 fixed things | Climate Action - The Community Guide
Showerthought: the one Saturday I biked 11 miles to that repair cafe in Dayton and walked out with 4 fixed things
I went to a repair cafe in Dayton last Saturday and it turned into the best climate day I have had all year. I brought an old floor lamp, a busted toaster, a desk fan that only ran on high, and a pair of jeans with a blown seam. Four volunteers sat me down at different tables and we fixed all four in about 3 hours, total cost was 6 bucks for a new plug. The guy at the electrical table showed me how the toaster's heating wire had a tiny break and we spliced it back instead of me buying a new one for 40 dollars. I keep thinking about how much stuff gets tossed over small breaks like that, and how one room full of retired folks with toolboxes killed that whole cycle for me. My neighbor asked why I would drive 30 minutes to fix a 15 dollar lamp and honestly it was more about learning the skill than the lamp. Now I want to set one up in my own neighborhood but I have no idea how to find volunteers. Has anyone here started a repair cafe or fix it clinic, and what actually worked to get people to show up?