Jewelry, computers, appliances: This nonprofit aims to help keep items out of landfill
Even a small repair can keep an appliance, piece of furniture or other item out of the landfill while also helping someone on a tight budget. Sustainable living organization Re.Use.Full is hoping to promote this with Repair Cafe events, where pros teach people to make minor fixes.
On Feb. 1, the group will hold its third Overland Park workshop at Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St. Each of the events, which have been held throughout the Kansas City metro area, focuses on one specialty, such as clothing repair or computers. This one will encompass those, along with furniture and small appliances.
Re.Use.Full founder Leslie Scott said other organizations, like The Sewing Labs, help the community in specific fields, all with a goal of keeping items in working order.
“This is just sort of a way to bring together those different kinds of repairs into one spot, make it a one-stop shop for people,” Scott said. “So if you have a lamp and a computer and you need a zipper replaced, you can just go to one spot and have them all done at once.”
When you show up to the Repair Cafe, a volunteer greets you to find out what you need and gets you in with the correct repair volunteer.
There’s more to it than just getting small repairs done, which is why it’s not simply a drop-off event. Stay, and the volunteers will also help you learn to make your own fixes in the future.
“The point here is to really engage with the volunteer as they fix your item,” Scott said.
Typical repairs might be replacing a cord that was chewed by a pet, fixing a loose button or adding a jump ring to jewelry.
“I like how happy people are when they’re able to use their item again. We had one woman who actually broke down in tears because we were able to fix a lamp that was her great aunt’s,” Scott said.
While some learn to fix items via YouTube, the videos aren’t for everyone.
“We get a lot of older adults who may not necessarily be YouTube experts,” Scott said, adding that the fear of making a mistake is a barrier. “A lot of us are very skeptical of our own abilities to fix things and need that person who’s more skilled or more comfortable to kind of hold our hand.”
Usually people will bring one or two items. At the group’s first event in July, Scott said about 100 people turned up throughout the day.
Volunteers are key to the success of the Repair Cafe, and Scott is always looking for more.
“They are just people who have an interest in keeping things out of the landfill and fixing things,” Scott said.
One volunteer once ran a bike repair shop and brings his tools and extensive knowledge. Another is a teenager who loves working on computers and small appliances.
Amanda Kafton, treasurer for Re.Use.Full, grew up in and out of foster care and started her adult life homeless. She’s been bringing the skills she had to learn then to the Repair Cafes.
“Growing up the way I did, being as poor as I was, repair and upcycling was basically an essential skill I had to learn,” Kafton said.
She loves that she can help people become more self-reliant as they learn new repair skills.
“Most people don’t realize how simple it is to fix a lot of these things, if they just took a little bit of time,” Kafton said.
If you can’t fix things but still want to volunteer, you can greet people.
Scott said she’s also thankful for the support she’s gotten from the city of Overland Park.
“They have such a strong support of sustainability efforts and are one of the leaders in the region to have a focus on sustainability,” she said.
Eventually, Scott hopes to have a permanent workshop space to do repairs and offer repair tools for people in the community to use. She’s also looking for donations of tools with a view to eventually having a tool lending library.
The Repair Cafe will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 1 at Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St. For more information about Re.Use.Full, visit reusefull.org.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 4:00 AM.