The Ames Repair Café will return to the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. Ames Repair Café volunteers have partnered with the Ames Resource Recovery Plant to promote waste reduction by repairing rather than replacing items that no longer function properly. The repairs are offered at no charge.
“Our first Ames Repair Café was a terrific success, and our second will again focus on reducing waste while sharing tools and resources,” said Mike Van Vertloo, an Ames Repair Café organizer. “We will continue our goal of building self-reliance tools to reduce garbage by extending the useful life of items.”
The Ames Repair Café Team is an all-volunteer group with various repair skills. Some items the volunteers are prepared to work on include clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, computers, furniture, bicycles, wheelchairs, AV equipment, and small appliances, motors, and combustion engines. Participants are expected to bring their items to the library and remain with them throughout the repair process. If volunteers are unable to fix the item or if parts are required, the volunteers will assist in finding a local repair shop. If participants have replacement parts, they should bring them with the item. Volunteers also will focus on sharing basic maintenance tips.
“We know residents are likely enjoying many new items after the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw away items that are less than perfect,” said Bill Schmitt, Resource Recovery Plant Superintendent. “A better option to reduce the amount of trash we produce is fix items or find another home for them. Along with reduce, reuse, recycle, we also encourage people to look for responsible, sustainable, local solutions.”
The Ames Repair Café Teams continues to seek repair volunteers to help with the event. For questions or more information, email AmesRepairCafe@gmail.com.
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