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The Westside Repair Cafe is organized by volunteers from Our Time Bank, with additional volunteers from the community.
Repair Cafes are a worldwide movement, with the intent of helping people learn to repair things instead of throwing them away. Local volunteers host pop-up events to share skills and help repair everyday items for free.
FAQ
How much does it cost?
All repairing is free! If your repair requires a specific replacement part, you could bring it with you or our volunteer could help you find a source for the specific part. We do need and gratefully accept donations to help with event and material costs.
What items can't you repair?
We cannot repair anything too large to bring to the cafe (fridges, industrial machinery etc), requiring a long diagnosis and/or repair time (non-functional sewing machines, backpack zippers etc), needing new parts you do not have on hand, or involving repair skills our volunteers do not have (hard soldering, silver/gold brazing for jewelry, sewing leather, broken screens etc). We will do our best to recognize when we can't fix your item as quickly as possible.
How long will I have to wait?
Wait times are very unpredictable, depending how busy the repairers are for certain repair stations. Coming early is the best strategy for a shorter wait time. While you wait, we have plenty of free things to do though! A giveaway table, snacks, crafting, a plant swap, hair trims, guitar lessons, energy healing, and more!
Where are your events?
We partner with different community hosts to serve different communities. See our Events page for upcoming Repair Cafes and Repair Skills Workshops. If you are interested in hosting and have a large multipurpose hall with many electrical outlets, tables and chairs, let's talk! Contact us.
How often are Repair Cafes?
We usually do a full Repair Cafe every 3 months, but would love to have them happen more often, as we grow. If you go to the Locations page, you can find community repair organizers in other parts of LA and SoCal. Look for the repair events nearest you.
Do you need volunteers?
Yes! We would love to hear from people:
with repair skills (small appliances, electrical, mechanical, sewing, knife sharpening, bike repair, or anything else you can do)
with non-repair skills to help keep things running (check-in, ticket runners, clothing swap/giveaway/potluck tables, and more)
who can help us with behind-the-scenes stuff like data entry, website, email list, outreach, etc.
If you're interested, please contact us
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