2017 marked the first ever Repair Cafes hosted in Clark County. These events brought together 40 highly skilled volunteers who shared their expertise and knowledge to help diagnose and fix a variety of common household items, all for free.
Volunteers fixed bicycles, small appliances, electronics, clothes, tools, knives, jewelry and more. The events were extremely popular, serving more than 400 community members and fixing more than 220 items at about an 80 percent success rate.
The first Repair Café of 2018 will be hosted on Thursday, Feb. 8 from 6-8 p.m. at the east Vancouver Habitat for Humanity Store, 10811 SE 2nd St., Vancouver. More information on what participants can bring and expect at the event is available online at repairclarkcounty.org, or by calling 360-882-0936 ext. 224.
If you like to fix, fidget or tinker, then Repair Cafes are a perfect volunteer opportunity for you. A volunteer training for new volunteers will be held on Thursday, Feb. 1, from 5:30-7 p.m., also at the east Vancouver Habitat for Humanity Store.
This brief training will cover many topics including safety, the purpose of Repair Cafes, various volunteer roles and liability. Light refreshments will be provided. Anyone interested in volunteering with Repair Cafe must attend a volunteer training. To sign up for the training, or for questions, contact the Repair Cafe Coordinator at repair@columbiasprings.org or (360) 882-0936, ext. 224.
Funding for Clark County Repair Cafes is provided by the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Public Participation Grant.
