Repair Café promotes reuse, skills and sustainability in New Hamburg

Volunteers help locals fix clothing, books, jewelry and household items, promoting sustainability and hands-on learning in New Hamburg.

A community Repair Café in New Hamburg brought residents together on Saturday to repair broken household items, share practical skills and reduce waste.

Hosted by the Nith Valley EcoBoosters at Zion United Church, the free event connected participants with “skilled volunteer fixers” who helped mend clothing, including knitted and crocheted items, repair jewelry, and books and address minor household, mechanical and woodworking issues.

“When I was growing up in the 50s, people did things like mending your own hems or darning your socks or gluing things together that had broken, and learning from your parents how to do that. We don’t see that as much anymore,” said organizer Kathy Mostardi.

Most tools, materials and safety equipment were supplies on site, while attendees were encouraged to bring any specialized parts or materials required for their repairs.

“Once you understand it, you can apply it to so many different things,” said “fixer” Ashley Ropp. “That’s what I really like about repair cafés, there are so many different aspects to it and it’s not only about sustainability. It’s also about saving money and community and passing on skills. And there’s all these different facets; we’re kind of coming at it from the sustainability perspective, but there’s so many different things that go into it.”

Organizers say the Repair Café focuses on extending the life of everyday items while fostering community connections and encouraging sustainable practices.

“If someone needs a bit of social time and doesn’t have a repair, that’s fine that they come and hang out with us,” Mostardi said. “We are looking for a volunteer that is a licensed electrician and who has insurance as well, independent of our group. So, if anyone in the community is interested in helping us in that way, we would really appreciate it. There’s a lot of simple electrical repairs like replacing lamps, cords or sockets and things that can very easily be done if we had that kind of electrical help.”

Information on repair resources and environmental sustainability was made available for participants.