Repair Cafe
Yesterday I volunteered at our community Repair Cafe. We meet four times a year to get together and repair things. We give a new lease on life to household items that would otherwise end up in the landfill. People bring bicycles, lamps, toasters, vacuums, garments, laptops, toys, jewelry, and so on, many of which just need a simple tune-up or a part replaced. It's a very fun event with a upbeat vibe and people learning from each other. All the labor for putting on the event is volunteer and repairs are free.
While there are some very skilled technical people that repair smartphones and stereo receivers, I'm just a generalist. Yesterday I repaired a hand mixer, a space heater, and a sewing machine foot pedal. I got to see the inside of an antique gramophone and suggest which part needed to be replaced. In the past I've fixed toasters, lamps, boom boxes, dvd players, vacuums, and similar electrical items.
I really enjoy participating. I get to meet nice people from the community and talk about how to repair stuff. There's a nice group atmosphere that we're slowing the movement of the "throw-away" society. I always learn something new. It feels good to send someone home with an item of sentimental value that will continue to provide joy instead of rotting on a junk heap.
