Volunteer fixers at Sustainable Suffield’s first Repair Cafe evaluated 55 broken household items, according to the task force’s co-chair, Anna-Kristin Daub-Murphy. “They fixed 38 – or 70% – and partially repaired five. They were unable to repair 12,” she said.
Suffield Senior Center hosted the event on March 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We are proud of our ten volunteer experts whose overall 70% success rate compares to the 65% success rate documented by Repair Cafe International for 10,391 repairs they’ve tracked worldwide this year.”
Volunteer fixer Ernie Begin, accompanied by his daughter, Addie, shown repairing a chair at Sustainable Suffield’s first Repair Cafe on March 29.
Daub-Murphy said that townspeople who brought in broken items were pleased with the experience. Even residents whose items couldn’t be repaired praised the fixers’ efforts. She noted that in some cases, burned-out motors and other issues made the items unrepairable.
She recognized and applauded the volunteer fixers. Dorian Taylor mended clothes. Frank Ludorf, Brian Caron, Gerry LaPlante and Frani Lenonard made electrical repairs. Her husband, Shawn Murphy, and Jim Baker sharpened knives and yard tools. Gerry LaPlante and Dan Kruger fixed bikes. Ernie Begin and his wife Libby repaired furniture, ceramics and appliances.
She said Sustainable Suffield was also grateful to the Senior Center for providing a clean, comfortable space and coffee for the event.
According to Repair Cafe International, Repair Cafes originated in the Netherlands in 2009 and are held in nearly 3,500 locations and over 50 countries worldwide. Daub-Murphy said the Suffield Cafe adhered to the recommendations of the international group. “Also, before launching our first Cafe, our members visited a Repair Cafe in Mansfield, Connecticut, which has been operating for 11 years, to gain a better understanding of how they work. Later, we spoke to people running Cafes in Wilton, Connecticut, and Natick, Massachusetts.”
She said Sustainable Suffield’s next Repair Cafe is scheduled for Saturday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Suffield Senior Center. “We ask that residents again bring their broken household items for repair, so we can keep them from the landfill,” she said. “We’ve streamlined the admission process to reduce wait time, and repairs are on a first come, first served basis.”