We all have them: those worn-out things that we just can’t bear to part with for one reason or another. Maybe it’s an old chair that wobbles, but we hang onto it because it reminds us of the person who gave it to us. Or it’s a special toy from childhood that carries with it an emotional resonance that makes it worth saving and fixing.
That’s the concept behind The Repair Café in New Paltz.
It was started a year ago this month by local resident John Wackman. Six months prior, he had moved to New Paltz, he says, “and in moving to a new community, I knew I needed a good project that would help me get to know people here. I had read about the first Repair Café — the idea was born in Amsterdam in 2009 — and I thought it was a great idea.”
Encouraged by the positive response he received when he asked people in New Paltz what they thought about him bringing the concept here, Wackman organized the first local Repair Café last May. “At the time,” he says, “we were one of the first five or six in the country. Now there are several dozen.”
The Repair Café is not a permanent location. In the same way that pop-up art exhibits take over available spaces for a night or two, The Repair Café happens on the third Saturday of every other month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the New Paltz United Methodist Church at the corner of Grove and Main streets.
Volunteer “repair coaches” — people in the community who donate their time and skills — make free repairs to the “beloved but broken” items, as Wackman refers to them, that are brought in for minor fixes and restoration. Lamps get rewired, furniture is repaired, doll faces are restored and ripped seams in clothing get sewn back up.
According to Wackman, the entire venture can be summed up with: “A lot of stuff gets fixed. People leave very happy.” But he emphasizes that it’s not a drop-off service: repairs are made while you watch or help. And no guarantees are made that the item you bring to The Repair Café will get fixed, he says. “All we can guarantee is that you’ll have an interesting time.”
That’s because it’s as much about the “café” part of it as it is about the repairs. “The social aspect of this cannot be underestimated,” says Wackman. “If we’ve accomplished anything, it’s creating an atmosphere that is such a positive, friendly kind of thing. What I love most is the energy in the room; all the conversations, the creativity, the trouble-shooting and the problem-solving.”
The process involves laughter, but there are some tears, too. “Because people care about these items, and when something is sort of resurrected, they’re very grateful,” says Wackman.
The original concept of the Repair Café in Amsterdam was more about fixing broken things to keep them out of the landfill. The New Paltz version certainly does that, too, but Wackman says it’s the idea of the “beloved but broken” item being brought back to life that the café here has fostered. And for those who would doubt the level of emotions that can arise when favorite old things are repaired, he advises checking out the stories posted on Facebook under “Repair Cafe-New Paltz,” which are all about specific items that were repaired and what it meant to the people who brought them in.
But apparently not too many people need convincing. Over the last year, Wackman says, “a lot of people from other places came to the café and said, ‘We want this in our town, too.’” Now as the New Paltz location marks its one-year anniversary, new Repair Cafés are springing up nearby, although Wackman says he isn’t involved in organizing any of them. “I’m simply a resource for them. These have to be home-grown and come from the community itself.”
Rosendale had its first Repair Café in April, spread out over five or six different storefronts on Main Street. The primary location was the Rosendale Café. They’re now planning to hold regular events every other month on third Saturdays, too, but they’ll alternate months with New Paltz. The next event in Rosendale will be on Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact Susan at the Rosendale Café at (845) 658-9048 or visit www.rosendalecafe.com.
Rhinebeck’s first Repair Café was held on Saturday, May 3 at Rhinebeck Town Hall from noon to 4 p.m., co-sponsored by Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner and the Rhinebeck Conservation Advisory Board. The next Rhinebeck event will be Saturday, July 19. For more information, call (845) 453-2105 or e-mail joeltyner@earthlink.net.
Transition Kingston is planning to start up a Repair Café on Saturday, June 28, with its hours yet to be determined, and Poughkeepsie is in the planning stages.
And New Paltz will soon have a scaled-down, weeknight version at The Treehouse. Resident seamstress Cindy Capraro has volunteered at several of the Repair Cafés thus far, says Wackman, and with classroom space available at The Treehouse’s new location at 17 Church Street, they plan to start up a small Repair Café this summer. The first event will be held on Wednesday, June 11 from 6 to 9 p.m.
The next Repair Café at United Methodist Church at 1 Grove St. will be on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free coffee and tea are offered, and fruit and baked goods are available for purchase, including what Wackman calls “the best brownies on the planet,” made by New Paltz resident Dale Montelione.
At each of the events, they’ve tried new things, Wackman says. “At this one, we’re encouraging people to bring a food donation for Family of New Paltz. Bring an item to be repaired, but also bring a food item for Family.”
And they’re adding a “take-apart” table for kids to dismantle a junked laptop or appliance under the supervision of middle school science teacher Holly Shader and New Paltz Climate Action Coalition’s Miriam Strouse. “Notice it’s a ‘take-apart,’ not a ‘put back together’ table,” says Wackman. “There’s no expectation the kids will put anything back together.” In addition, environmental conservationist Adiron Corichi of the DEC will organize a “maker’s space” for kids; “basically a workshop and an incubator for making stuff,” Wackman explains.
As always, repairs will be free of charge, although a voluntary donation is appreciated to help with Repair Café expenses. For more information, e-mail jwackman@gmail.com or visit www.repaircafe.org.
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