Repair is in the air: A decade of Repair Cafés and a growing national movement

Repair PDX is celebrating their 10th anniversary and planning for the future. This local, grassroots organization hosts Repair Cafés, and has led the repair movement in Portland. 

Repair Cafés are free events that bring volunteers who like to fix things together with people who have items that need fixing. 

Lauren Gross started Repair PDX based on her experience with Repair Cafés in the Netherlands. She continues to be at the helm of the repair movement, along with many volunteer fixers.

Reflecting on 10 years, Lauren shared her thoughts on the future: “I'd say my vision for the future is the same as our mission: Spread repair culture. It's senseless that we extract things from the ground, use them for a few minutes, and then bury them in the ground again. It's imperative that we make things that will last, and that we take care of those things for as long as possible. That vision extends to seeing that repair and reuse is everywhere and deeply ingrained in our culture.” 

Regional repair events are popping up all the time, including monthly events in Portland and weekly drop-in hours at Repair PDX headquarters at ADX. The drop-in options allow interaction with experienced fixers so anyone can learn about small appliance repair.

Find out more about Repair PDX and the list of local events.

Volunteer fixer Brit with Repair PDX founder Lauren at a recent Repair Cafe.

Repair is in the air

There are shifts in the air locally and nationally, with recent Earth Day promotion and ongoing Right to Repair legislation efforts expanding awareness and enthusiasm for repair throughout the country.

In Oregon, Senate Bill 542 Right to Repair is currently part of Oregon’s Legislative Session. The bill is in the Rules Committee, awaiting amendments, and a possible vote in the Senate. To learn more about the bill, listen to the OPB Think Out Loud segment with Oregon Senator Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, a sponsor of the bill. A similar bill was part of the 2021 session.

At a national level, repair was recently highlighted in a New York Times Wirecutter article and the Los Angeles Times. The Today Show has featured repair twice: once with a live Repair Café and a second about the Northeast Seattle Tool Library.

The Today Show segments highlight core virtues of the community repair movement like thrift, the environment, community building, and skill sharing.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary for iFixit. This open-source online resource has a mission to teach everyone to fix everything.

Help advance the repair movement in Oregon

The Right-to-Repair movement is growing, with 14 states exploring right to repair legislation, including Oregon.  Oregon House Bill 2698 is one of many bills making its way through the state legislature in the 2021 session. Here’s a summary of the bill language:

Requires original equipment manufacturer to make available to owner of originated equipment or independent repair provider on fair and reasonable terms any part, tool, documentation or other device or implement that original equipment manufacturer makes available to authorized repair provider for purpose of diagnosing, maintaining or repairing originated equipment. 

If approved into law, the bill would require that large companies must release tools, parts, and manuals so consumers and repair businesses can fix and maintain what you already own. Extending the life of devices saves you money and keeps repairable items out of the landfill. 

Learn more and advocate for the bill.  

The national Repair Association supports this legislation and continues to offer consumers and businesses repair information. A new online feature includes a Where to Repair search tool. Other local repair resources include Portland Repair Finder and FiX iT Lane County.  

Repair PDX is offering virtual workshops, including how to hem your pants, as part of the virtual Fix-It Fair. Other repair partners, like Global Virtual Fixit Clinics, offer options to be a coach, get something fixed, or just come for the experience. You can jump from room to room to see how different fixes are going. 

Check out a previous blog post about repair businesses as essential services and options to fix at home.  

Fix at home and grow the repair movement

Being resourceful has never seemed to be more appropriate than now, while we have been at home for an extended period, surrounded by our stuff. Out of need or boredom, we may have rediscovered our long unused sewing machines or tools to create, make and maybe repair our own stuff.  

Repair is an essential service 

From bikes and cell phones to shoes and toys, local repair businesses are open and seeking to help customers. Repair shops are essential businesses during the COVID-19 emergency, and they have adjusted and created new opportunities, like many other types of businesses.  

One resource that is dedicated to helping more people fix more things is Portland Repair Finder. This online resource helps tell the stories behind repair work, including recent entries about how businesses such as Bridgetown Electronics Repair and Hidden Opulence Design House have tried new options to support their customers and the larger community.

If you’re interested in the status of bike shops for DIY repair or to purchase needed gear, BikePortland has updated information about over 40 local shops.   

#FixatHome 

Portland’s repair organization, Repair PDX, has gone virtual. They hosted an online workshop about zipper repair, partnering with Zipper Rescue and Portland Underground Grad School to offer a skill-share session on how to repair your own zippers.  

Regional Repair Fairs has an online toolbox full of how-to videos. And don’t forget about iFixit, the go-to resource with online tutorials for pretty much anything. They are also behind the #FixatHome campaign, sharing the Do-It-Yourself spirit with those who are curious to repair their own goods. 

Ready to try repairing something at home? Here’s what one volunteer Repair PDX fixer shared about how to repair anything. 

1. Decide what the problem really is before you start; most problems are either electrical or physical. 

2. Don't be in a hurry to tear it apart. Remember, you have to put it back together. 

• When it is together, you have the answer of what it looks like when it is complete. 

• When it is apart, you hold the question of, "What have I done?" 

• Take pictures on your phone as you disassemble the unit. 

• Lay out the parts in the order that you take them off. 

• Put the screws in a container so you won't lose them. 

3. Use oil – engine oil, sewing machine oil, bearing grease, spray lubricants or Vaseline – they all lubricate most things. 

4. Use glue – school glue, epoxy, rubber cement, contact cement, goop and instant glue – they all hold most things together. 

5. Fear of failure causes unclear thinking, so here are things to keep in mind: 

• If you can fix it, great! 

• If you can't, you know it’s already broken: You can throw it out--or recycle the parts--with a clear conscience. 

• Bonus: You now have screws, springs, bulbs, and more for your next project! 

Top resourceful trends over the last decade

Resourceful PDX has existed in its current format for the last six years. In that time, there has been a lot of information shared, questions answered and resources that have come and gone.

The top posts from Ideas and Tips followed trends with similar themes: share, repair and DIY.

Sharing stuff for free

Portland residents are interested in sharing items they no longer need or want – and getting things for free through swapping and reusing.

The most popular post and how many people find out about Resourceful PDX is through Rooster. Rooster is a community of neighbors who share resources at no cost. It’s about borrowing things you need—and making rewarding connections in the community. 

Other community resources that offer free options include:

PDX Free Store is like a rummage sale except everything is free - clothes, housewares, music, toys and games. Bring clean, working items to donate, and take items you need.

Swap Positive offers clothing and accessory swaps around the Portland region, plus offer annual spring and holiday events.

Freecycle is a grassroots movement committed to a sharing economy and helping people give and gain cool free stuff. It promotes reuse and keeping usable items out of landfills.

Buy Nothing Project members post anything you’d like to give away, lend or share. It is neighborhood- and Facebook-based, focused on items you’d like to borrow or acquire, at no cost, from neighbors.

The repair movement is strong

Free repair events, open to the public, took off with Repair PDX in 2013. Now events take place all over the Portland region every month, where people bring broken items to be fixed. Items like small appliances, bikes and clothing are repaired by volunteers who give their time and talents to help anyone keep their items in use longer. Some bring in items that are nostalgic, others for economic or environmental reasons.

Repair PDX by the numbers:

·         Helped 2,665 people

·         Sharpened 404 tools and knives

·         Looked at 1,629 small appliances

·         Sewed 1,212 items

·         Worked on 219 bikes

Portland Repair Finder includes a variety of ways to fix and maintain existing goods, including shoes. The post ‘With a little TLC, your shoes will love you back’, continues to be one of the most popular.

In the next decade, we may be digging into the Right to Repair. State legislation for owners to be able to repair their own things – from electronics to farming equipment – is taking off in other states and Oregon is among them.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY)

From forging your own knife to learning to make a cutting board, creating, making and learning to DIY is widely popular.

The ReBuilding Center Open Shop is filling a gap in the community maker space since options have come and gone over the years. Become a member to use tools and equipment or take one of many classes they offer.

Or grab your friends and book time at the DIY Bar in North Portland.

As a reminder, there is always the Resourceful PDX map, available to show residents where to find all the community resources to continue to reuse, repair, donate, lend and swap.

Contact us in the new year to share ideas, resources or questions.

Think repair for the holidays with over 200 local shops

Did you know you can find repair shops all over the Portland region through an online database?

Portland Repair Finder is dedicated to helping more people fix more things. The organization makes tools, knowledge and resources easier to find, and helps tell the stories behind repair work. They believe that repairing things is good for the local economy, community and environment, and it is empowering and fun.

The creator of this online tool is Joel Newman. He started the website in 2017 to become a comprehensive access point for repair of all kinds around Portland. His background is in art and design - and bicycle repair.

Joel (right) fixing a bike at a Repair Cafe.

He said over the next year they will be revising the search and filtering features, as well as growing the database of repair shops and resources. The ability to search the site by item as well as by mode of repair– whether that's a needed tool for a DIY fix, expert advice or professional repair– is key to showing people the range of options available, and getting more people involved.

“One of the cool things about repair work is its ability to add life to a favorite item or keepsake. If you get a favorite pair of jeans or shoes mended or restore a piece of furniture or jewelry that has been in your family for generations, it’s much more unique and memorable than buying something new.”

Give the gift of repair

With the holidays upon us, now’s a good time to find alternative gift ideas. Look at who you plan to buy for this year. Would they benefit from a gift certificate from a jeweler, cobbler or for a gadget? Could a family heirloom be repaired, old photos be restored or a favorite outfit brought back to life through alteration? There are 200 businesses included on the Repair Finder.

And don’t forget about free repair events in the region. Both Repair Cafés and Repair Fairs take place around the Portland region throughout the year. Think of these events as an ongoing way to get small repairs made to keep your possessions in circulation and in use. The Resourceful PDX event calendar lists all the repair events taking place, along with other community events.

Get moving on the way to school

Options is the name of the game as you shift back into the school routine. How you get to and from school, after-school activities, sporting events, and play dates – all of these are times to consider alternatives and, as a bonus, offer ways to spend more time with family and friends.

Carpool

Connect and collaborate with other parents on a carpool for the kids to reduce pollution and traffic congestion while saving time and money. Use this free online tool to find carpool companions. Or talk to friends and neighbors to share in the day-to-day schedule and make the most of your time.

Walk or bike

Promote exercise (and get some yourself) and quality time with your kids by walking or biking with your kids to school. Find maps to school, information and events through Safe Routes to School or sign up for their newsletter.

Bike shops all over Portland offer repair services and classes, and can help outfit you for the weather. Or come to a Repair Café to learn how to get minor things repaired for free.

In whatever ways your family chooses to get back to school, incorporating thoughtful actions that are good for you and the community help provide lasting effects as the seasons change and the new school year becomes routine again.

Visit our other recent posts to find more tips and ideas about kids in school.

Threading connections through repair

“It touches my heart when people bring in sentimental items handed down in their families,” said Marie Coreil. “Like the woman who recently brought in a quilt made by her mother. While I sewed a new rip, she shared stories that brought back fond memories of my own mother.”

Marie loves sewing and is delighted to be a volunteer sewer with Repair PDX, where she helps people continue using items they cherish, like a favorite purse or pair of jeans.

As a Master Recycler volunteer and retiree, Marie uses her free time to give back to the community and support causes that she cares about. “I can use my time to support initiatives that depend on volunteerism to succeed.”

“Through my time as a Master Recycler, I learned about Repair PDX and began volunteering at the repair café events as a mender because I have always loved sewing. Later I learned about the Southeast Portland Tool Library and began volunteering there as well. Most recently, I joined the PDX Time Bank, which is a great resource for Portlanders to help each other that could be more widely used.”

Repair PDX provides free repair services to community members who bring in items they might otherwise throw away. From small appliances, to bike maintenance and mending services, Repair PDX not only offers participants a chance to fix things, it creates a space for connection and community.

“Many people would like to keep using their material possessions, but lack the skills or resources to maintain them or fix them when they break. Repair PDX addresses this need by holding repair events in different neighborhoods where people can take their things to be fixed – free of charge. It enables people to continue using things that might otherwise end up being thrown away.”

Repair PDX offers an excellent model for community involvement that is already being duplicated in other parts of the Portland metro region and across the country. Many people have skills they enjoy sharing and all it takes is a little of their time and some coordination to put it all together.

Marie encourages retirees to get involved in some kind of volunteer activity – something they enjoy doing anyway so they can experience the intangible rewards of giving back to the community.

“Another benefit for me personally is I have made new friends through Repair PDX. Two of the regular menders also live in the Sellwood neighborhood and we have become friends. I have also gotten to know people through overlapping circles of Portland’s sustainability activities.”

Do you consider yourself a tinkerer? Are you interested in repair? Join Marie and other volunteer fixers to help spread repair culture through the repair movement! Check out our events calendar for upcoming repair or related events.

Find more stories about repairing in Portland. #sharingcommunity

Oregon takes steps toward more reuse

Cindy Correll, Reuse Alliance Oregon chair and Resourceful PDX partner, shares an update on reuse and repair in Oregon.

Reuse Alliance has a vision of making reuse a mainstream part of people’s lives and as common as recycling currently is in our culture.

The Oregon Legislature recently passed two new laws that involve reuse and repair. Senate Bill 245 and Senate Bill 263 set goals and make funding available to develop programs to increase the practice of reuse and repair.

This creates exciting opportunities to increase the public’s awareness of and participation in the practice of reuse and repair.

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The new laws support implementation of Materials Management in Oregon: 2050 Vision and Framework for Action. While earlier versions of this plan focused mostly on recycling efforts and managing waste, the 2050 plan addresses the full life cycle of materials (from raw materials, to manufacturing, purchasing and use, to disposal). It establishes a foundation for our state to use fewer raw materials and to get the most out of the resources we do consume. Reuse and repair play a big role in maximizing the useful life of the manufactured goods that are part of our daily lives.

Highlights from SB 263 addressing reuse and repair include:

• Waste prevention and reuse education programs in elementary and secondary schools.
• Funding or infrastructure support to promote and sustain reuse, repair, leasing or sharing efforts.
• Technical assistance to promote and sustain reuse, repair or leasing of materials or other sharing efforts to reduce waste.

SB 245 will make grants available to government agencies, nonprofits and businesses that want to implement programs in support of the reuse and repair goals outlined in Oregon’s 2050 plan.

With grant funds becoming available early next year, it will take some time before we begin to see results from this important new legislation. Over the next few years, expect to see new, innovative programs that give you more options for reusing and repairing your belongings.

Resourceful PDX gives Portland residents tools and ideas for reducing waste

Get involved with reuse and repair now by tapping into what exists in the community already. Explore Portland’s many second-hand stores to find new-to-you clothing, furniture, electronics, household or craft items and salvage building materials.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, how-to classes and online tutorials can help you improve your sewing, bike or home repair skills quickly. There are also community resources, such as Repair PDX and local repair shops, that can fix anything from clothing and shoes, to furniture, tools, electronics, appliances and more.

As you’re repairing, reusing, borrowing and sharing, remember that you’re blazing the trail for others to follow. Keep up the good work!

Get2gether Neighborhood Challenge announces 2015 winners

Whether it's a neighborhood garden, a community swap, or a tool lending library, the Center for a New American Dream knows that your block, street, or neighborhood has an exciting project just waiting to come to life. That's why the Center for a New American Dream launched the first-ever Get2gether Neighborhood Challenge in 2013.

One of the 2015 winners includes a project from our neighbors up in Seattle. The project will create a free tool library in the Capitol Hill neighborhood with a workshop space, classes, and fixer’s collective to help build community and reduce consumerism. Read all about the five winners – and think about how you can get involved for the next round of grants.

Portland already has four tool libraries, available to residents of East Portland, North Portland, Northeast Portland, and Southeast Portland. In fact, they often partner with Repair PDX to host repair café events in their space, so residents can get items fixed for free.

Drop Resourceful PDX a line to ask questions or share what’s going on in your community and neighborhood. 

Get your broken goods fixed in East Portland on August 14

The first Repair Café in East Portland is taking place on Thursday, August 14, 2014, 6 – 9 p.m. at The Rosewood Initiative at 16126 SE Stark St. 

The Rosewood Initiative is a neighborhood space where you learn useful skills and connect with others. It’s the perfect place to host a Repair Café!

Repair Cafés are free events that bring volunteers who like to fix things together with people who have broken items that need fixing. Volunteer fixers work alongside attendees so there is an opportunity to learn how to fix your own items. 

Bring broken items for volunteers to help fix – for free! There will be Spanish and Russian speakers on hand to assist with translations.

This event is in partnership with Repair PDX, City of Gresham and City of Portland, bringing together residents from East County for the first time. The Rosewood Initiative is unique because it includes about 5,000 people in both Gresham and Portland.

“We're excited to bring neighbors and volunteers to Rosewood for the Repair Café for the first time,” said Jenny Glass, Executive Director. “Many of our neighbors don't have the space or resources to work on projects, so this is a great opportunity to empower folks to fix broken items, save things from being thrown into the landfill and build community!”

The Rosewood Initiative wants to reach residents in the Rosewood neighborhood – to connect and support neighbors and promote a sense of community. They do this by connecting people who live and work there, supporting skills and leadership opportunities to empower community members and promoting the neighborhood to others to build and strengthen community ties.

Volunteers at the Repair Café will be providing FREE:

• Bike repair
• Small appliance repair
• Small engine repair
• Sewing
• Electronics repair