NORTHAMPTON — An event that aims to reduce the impact on our landfills and inspire people to think of ways to reduce environmental impact is returning to the city on Sept. 14.
Northampton RePair and ReUse Group is hosting a free community repair event at the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School cafeteria from noon to 4 p.m. to bring broken items back to life at no cost.
Started around seven years ago, the event features a group of active or retired professional and self-taught repair people, craftspeople and makers who volunteer their time to repair items that people bring.
For David Starr, the volunteer coordinator with Northampton RePair and ReUse Group, the event is a win-win because people get their items fixed for reuse and the repair people also get to promote their business or repair in general.
This community connection also puts forth environmentally conscious thinking.
“Our group is really interested in reducing solid waste in Northampton,” said Starr, who, along with others in the Northampton RePair and ReUse Group, helps run the Northampton Recenter on Glendale Road. “We just thought, ‘this seems like a really organic way to reduce waste and do something that the community will really love.”
The event was started by Roger Berman, another member of the group, who was inspired by Repair Cafes, an international organization involved in thousands of repair events around the world. The event in Northampton is currently run by Berman, Starr and Barbara Smith.
The group conducted its first repair event since before COVID-19 this past May where around 15 “fixers” volunteered their time and around 100 people came to get items fixed. Starr said there are about 15 fixers on the list for the Sept. 4 event and he expects a similar participant turnout.
“Everyone’s got things that don’t work anymore and they’re like, ‘I’m going to throw it away because I don’t know where to get it repaired,’” Starr said. “Now we have an event where people don’t have to throw things away because they can bring it and they can get it repaired.”
Starr said the group is expanding the definition of “repair” through this event by inviting people who can help balance checkbooks, repair computers, restore artwork or sharpen knives among many other specialties.
Many people, Starr said, need lamps fixed, so the group always tries to have an electric repairman volunteer at the event.
Other common items that people bring are small electronics, vacuums, clothing, bikes, furniture and jewelry. Starr said people will also bring more esoteric items to be fixed like snow mobiles and lawnmowers.
“The people that come to the event to repair are always up for the challenge,” Starr said.
According to the Northampton RePair and ReUse Group, entrance to this event and most repairs are free. The only cost to a participant is if they need to get something at a hardware store or if a repair needs to be done elsewhere. People have the option to donate to help future RePair and ReUse Group events.
The Northampton RePair and ReUse Group started around 15 years ago to make sure the city’s DPW was following recycling ordinances. They now run a lot of events separate from the city like a toy exchange and a town paint collection.
The group’s mission statement says that the group includes residents who are committed to reducing Northampton’s solid waste stream through education and innovative solid waste reduction interventions serving as a model for communities everywhere. The group is managed and staffed entirely by volunteers.
