Your trash can be your treasure again as SIRCH brings back its repair café Feb. 12.
The first repair cafés, where volunteers attempted to fix broken items, were held in January and March of 2020.
The January event attracted 24 volunteer fixers, 33 owners who brought 48 items to be fixed (only eight were not repaired) and 68 general visitors. The March numbers were 24 volunteers, 89 visitors, 53 items brought in and only three stumping the fixer-uppers.
SIRCH training co-ordinator, Dianne Woodcock, said the feedback from the events was that they were “an outstanding initiative on many levels.
“They had the opportunity to learn about the resources in our community, the powerful and positive impact on the landfills, and in some cases, how to fix their own items.
“The general consensus was the hope that the repair cafe events would continue. It was also a chance to socialize on a very unique level and for the visitors that came to see what it was about. It was a chance to learn about what items could be fixed that they did not think of before.”
With COVID-19, the repair cafés had to be shelved but are being revised. Woodcock said it’s important to get them up-and-running again.
She said SIRCH repair café, “wants to help reduce the mountains of waste that our landfills experience. We throw away piles of stuff every day. This includes items which practically have nothing wrong with them, and could be easily repaired and used.
“Unfortunately, many of us have forgotten that so many things can be repaired and SIRCH repair café wants to change that.”
She added repair café is also meant to put neighbours in touch with each other in a new way – also, to discover that a lot of knowhow and practical skills can be found close to home.
“If you repair a bike, a CD player or a pair of trousers and can share that expertise with an unfamiliar neighbour, it creates a whole new community outlook. Repairs can save money and resources. Repair cafés can show how much fun repairing things can be, and often easier than they thought.
“Repair café is a win-win,” Woodcock added.
She further said the volunteer fixers “provide such an amazing contribution to our community and our environment and visitors learn and connect.”
SIRCH is looking for volunteer fixers of things such as computers, electronics, small appliances and furniture, clothes, jewellery, books, bikes and more.
The event is being held Sunday, Feb. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SIRCH, 49 Maple Ave., Haliburton. See more at sirch.on.ca/repaircafe/repaircafé-volunteer or contact 705-457-1742.
