If it ain’t broke, so the saying goes, don’t fix it.
But if it is broke — and you’d like to keep it — bring it to West Virginia’s first Repair Cafe from 10 a.m.- noon Saturday at Shack Neighborhood House, 537 Blue Horizon Drive.
The event is being put on by the Scotts Run Resonance Project, a program aimed at preserving the history and culture of the Osage area and supported through grant dollars from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s Central Appalachia Living Traditions initiative.
“We’re focusing on the history of Osage, because there is a history of music, self-reliance, foraging and growing your own food,” Community Coordinator DJ Cassell explained. “We want to reintroduce people and remind people of that. We want to bring together the generations living in the area to share skills and history that we are losing.”
Cassell said relying on yourself and your community was central to life in old coal-mining communities.
“You couldn’t run out and buy new clothes or a new pair of shoes whenever you wanted. You got them fixed or you learned to fix them yourself,” Cassell said. “The Repair Cafe is to show that if you can’t fix something, maybe your neighbor can show you how. Everything doesn’t need to be immediately thrown out and replaced.”
In addition to bringing people together, fixing things saves money and keeps repairable items out of the landfill.
A number of individuals with specialized expertise will be on hand to fix ailing items ranging from bicycles to clothes to cast iron, or, as the event flier states, “toasters, lamps, toys, crockery … anything that is broken is welcome.”
All repairs will be free of charge. Tools and materials will also be available, as will drinks and snacks.
Repair Cafe is actually an international foundation started in 2010 in Amsterdam. Additional information is available at repaircafe.org/en
The Scotts Run Resonance Project is the 124th Repair Cafe registered in the United States and the first in West Virginia. The nearest cafes are currently in Toledo, Ohio, and Charlotte, N.C.
Cassell said he’s hopeful the event will become a regular occurrence and noted a second cafe has been scheduled for Feb. 10.
The Scotts Run Resonance Project works through the Scotts Run Settlement House, Scotts Run Museum and Trail and Shack Neighborhood House.
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