Don’t Throw It – Fix It at the Repair Café

Recently I came across a video on Facebook that features a novel idea that is gaining momentum across Europe and has started to gain a foothold here in the United States. That idea is called the Repair Café and, according to their website, the very first one was started in Amsterdam by a young woman named Martine Postma back in 2009, which led to her forming the Repair Café Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps others wishing to start their own Repair Café.

The concept of the Repair Café is to bring people together from different backgrounds and vocations, along with people who have technical and repair knowledge and ability, so that they can fix things that most people just throw nowadays. The theory is that people have forgotten how to fix simple things or they lack the desire to repair things that could be easily fixed because it's just easier to go to the store and buy a new one. The positive effects of everyone meeting in one place to fix things is the social interaction one gains from it plus hopefully sparking an interest in actually repairing something instead of adding it to the local landfill. If you don't have anything to fix but want to join in and lend a hand or just observe while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, that's fine with them too. Interact with them on the Repair Café Facebook page to find out more.

Although there isn't a Repair Café in our area, there are 1,256 in existence and their numbers are growing. Maybe someday there will be one here or nearby so that I can finally get that toaster fixed and enjoy some toast with my eggs.