Community Repair Events
Resources for Starting a Community Repair Event
The Heart of the Matter:
“‘Everyone is in such a great mood’ at these events, Cotton said. ‘There’s this sense of community and camaraderie, and everyone is learning and everyone is teaching at the same time. It’s more than just ‘Come and get your broken stuff fixed.’ It’s more about building community.’”
— Darren Cotton, Buffalo NY Tool Library, The Wirecutter
Repair Revolution
How Fixers Are Transforming Our Throwaway Culture
By Elizabeth Knight and John Wackman
Published in 2020
New World Library
310 pages
”Repair Revolution is the first book to comprehensively introduce the ideas of ‘repair culture’ and the wisdom and practice of repair to a larger audience. The book is about much more than Repair Cafes--it is about the way repair initiatives of all kinds build community and awareness about the larger challenges facing our planet. We believe that every town needs a Repair Cafe, Fixit Clinic, Tool Library or something like it, and Repair Revolution is also an empowering guide for readers who want to start a repair initiative of their own.“
https://www.repaircafeusa.org/repair-revolution-book
John Wackman was the driving force behind the Hudson Valley Repair Café network, which numbers in the dozens. This tireless work was the foundation for Repair Revolution. Members of HVRC discuss details about repair cafés in this video (length - 1:40) — invaluable information for anyone considering establishing one.
How-to guides:
Anya Dobrowolski
Community Repair Events — Common, Best, and Better Practices for Building Community Through Repair. An excellent compilation of practices based on wide-ranging research.
City of Austin, Texas
“Host a Fix-It Clinic: A Comprehensive Guide” — English version
”Como Organizar una Clínica de Reparación Fix-It: Guía Completa” — Spanish version
Example of how a city or other public sector entity can support community repair events: City of Austin SupportClub de Reparadores — Buenos Aires, Argentina — Spanish
This manual for organizing a repair event in a school setting is entirely applicable to organizing a repair event in any setting.
Materials: “Ligas Menores - Materiales ‘Armá tu Club en la escuela’”
Main Page: Cultura Reparadora en Escuelas
Urban Sustainability Directors Network — Eugene, Oregon
Community Repair Events
How-to and best practices, example of how a public sector entity can support, event impact on repair in community, useful linksThe Restart Project — The Restart Party Kit and supporting material
Fixit Clinic — "Start a Clinic"
Repair Cafe International — How-to with links to supporting material and organizations.
Repair Café Toronto — Volunteer Descriptions Pamphlet
A wonderfully brief and useful outline: Repair Cafe Notes by @fuzzyface@mastodonapp.uk
Documents for a Community Repair Event in Berkeley that might be useful:
Community Repair Event Comprehensive Outline:
Logistics of an item’s movement from registration to completion
Volunteers — functions, skills needed, number needed for each task
Materials needed to manage item logistics, registration etc.
Project Timeline Template
Tool to schedule all tasks for CRE from finding a date to thanking sponsors
Volunteer Orientation (for the day of the event)
Supplies To Have On Hand:
— Starter List
— More Comprehensive