Repair Cafe set for April 30, everyone welcome and volunteers needed

WOLFEBORO — Makers Mill, a nonprofit community makerspace and vocation hub, is will host its first Repair Cafe on Sunday, April 30, 1-5 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend and bring an item for repair, and additionally skilled volunteers are being sought to help on the day with the repairs or give out advice.

What is a Repair Cafe? It’s a community-based initiative that aims to promote sustainability by repairing items instead of throwing them away, reducing waste, and promoting a circular economy. It is part of a larger movement of repair cafes around the world, which began in the Netherlands in 2009 and has since spread to more than 50 countries.

Attendees can bring in their broken items, such as clothing, electronics, small appliances, bicycles, and furniture, and skilled volunteers will be on hand to provide free repair services and advice. Volunteers may also teach attendees how to repair their items independently in future, thereby taking a more active role in reducing waste and increasing the longevity of their belongings.

The Repair Cafe concept sees Makers Mill drawing from its early G.A.L.A. roots to help reduce mountains of waste. "Repairing items instead of discarding them is an important step towards a more sustainable future," said Josh Arnold, executive director of Makers Mill. "The Repair Cafe brings together skilled volunteers and community members to share knowledge and promote repair culture. It's a great opportunity for people to learn new skills and connect with their community while reducing waste and saving money."

Makers Mill is still in need of additional volunteers with certain “fix-it” skill sets to be available during the Repair Cafe to assist attendees in repairing their broken items, or giving advice on how to fix them. If you are, or know someone, who is skilled at woodworking, sewing and mending, bicycle maintenance, metal and machining, or electronics, and you’re available on Sunday, April 30 to help out, reach out to Repair Cafe co-organizer Nadine San Antonio by Wednesday, April 26, to sign up as a volunteer Repair Cafe “coach.” Nadine can be reached at 603-391-5661 or by emailing sanantn54@gmail.com.

The Repair Cafe will be a regular monthly event held on the last Sunday of each month between 1-5 p.m. Registration is based on a sliding scale from $0-$25 to keep the event accessible while also supporting the sustainability of the program. Attendees are encouraged to bring any tools or materials that may be necessary for their repairs. Personal tools should be marked or labeled so they won’t get mixed up with the makerspace tools.

For more information or to sign up as a volunteer to help during the event, contact Nadine San Antonio by calling 603-391-5661 or by emailing sanantn54@gmail.com. Makers Mill is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, learn more at makersmill.org.