Here is Local 20/20’s regular Resilience Review column in the Port Townsend Leader, published 12/4/19. Thank you PT Leader!
Repair Cafe Coming to Port Townsend on Feb 29
By Janet Welch
What comes to mind when you see the term “Repair Café”? Don’t feel bad if you don’t immediately conjure an image of 10 or so local folks sitting at tables in front of sewing machines, tool bags and boxes, magnifying glasses, and bike stands. But that, and a random collection of your neighbors, is what you’ll find if you come to the PT Community Center on Leap Day, Saturday, February 29 between 10 am and 2 pm.
While Repair Cafés (and the similar Fix It Fairs) have been happening around Puget Sound for the past year, the Leap Day event is a first for the Port Townsend community. Hopefully it will be the first of many!
The Repair Café brings together people who will try to fix things with people toting items with frayed electrical cords, dull knives and tools, ripped britches, and cranky bikes. Hosted by the Beyond Waste action group of Local 20/20, and sponsored by The Food Coop and Henery Hardware, one of the goals of the event is to keep still useful items out of the landfill and allow them to provide many more years of service. A second, and perhaps longer term goal, is to facilitate passing of skills from people who have them to people who want to learn how to perform these types of simple repairs.
While there are certainly people in our community who are tremendously gifted with their hands, many others may not yet have learned how to sew or sharpen a knife. There is nothing quite like the sense of empowerment that comes with knowing how to make a minor adjustment of the derailleur on your bike, repair the clasp on a necklace, sew the button eye back on a beloved teddy bear, hem a pair of pants, or repair that cherished (thrift store) cashmere sweater. When the cord on a high quality electric tool or lamp is damaged, a simple repair can give many more decades of safe use, keep the item out of the landfill, and prevent having to buy a new one.
Bring up to two items for repair to the PT Community/Senior center (at the corner of Lawrence and Tyler) between 10 am and 2 pm on Saturday February 29th to celebrate Leap Day by leaping into a can-do attitude. Volunteers will be available for sewing, jewelry repair, tool sharpening, small electrical items, stringed instruments, and bikes. Donations are welcome to defray expenses for this and future events. For suggestions on the types of items that you might bring and a lot more information, see RepairCafePortTownsend.com.
Bio: Janet Welch enjoys a focus on simple pleasures, be it hiking or playing in the rain, local food, sharing passions (like rethinking consumerism) with friends, and supporting community. She is a member of the Beyond Waste action group of Local 20/20.
