BY CHRISTINA-MARY PIPER
Sheridan’s 10th annual Repair Café at HMC was a success, drawing a great response from the Sheridan students and staff as people came to learn about how to repair their broken items and fix some items that they had laying around.
The Repair Café is a global event that aims to reduce the throw-away mindset that has been growing in our world. The movement was started in Amsterdam in 2009. The Repair Café’s worldwide network includes more than 400 local cafés in 15 countries
On March. 25 the Sheridan Repair Café is returning to MakerSpace at Brampton Library – Four Corners. Students are invited to come help and volunteer. It is the third event in Brampton and it is a great event to get involved with. It helps people to network with more people signing up each time it is run.
Sheridan’s Sustainability Coordinator Wai Chu Cheng said: “If you can’t afford to fix broken things as students, it is a great way, it is a great way to get the knowledge and skills to do.”
“Students always love the Repair Café,” said Cheng. Three graduates came back to help with the Repair Café where they had many volunteers including two people that were able to help with IT problems such as fixing laptops and iPhones. A volunteer was able to fix clothing, shirts that had lost buttons or clothing that had tears in it. Not all volunteers were students. Some were staff members, all wanting to make a change to the way people view broken objects. Everything is fixable it just takes the right person to do it.
A lot of items were fixed at this Repair Café this month, including an old iPhone that’s home button was broken, a lot of clothing items, electronics, and small appliances.
New to this year, was a plant fixer. Someone was new to this year, who set up a table and gave information on how to look after plants this summer.
A lot of items hold great sentimental value, and at the Repair Café, they want to help people who have a connection to certain items. “Fixing each other helps fix the world,” said Cheng.
“Before recycling comes repair. We want to change the throwaway mindset of today’s society,” Cheng said. Rethink repair, we don’t have to consume more. In the future, Cheng hopes to offer the Repair Café more often and spread the culture of sustainability.
“We want to change the throwaway mindset of today’s society,” Cheng said. Rethink repair. There are ways to fix things. Cheng hopes to spread the culture of sustainability. “When people receive help from others it makes them want to give back,” Cheng said.
If you would like to volunteer at a Repair Café as a fixer or a volunteer email Wai Chu Cheng.
For questions about the event on the event in Brampton visit the event page.
