The Cumberland Community Schools Society (CSSS) is asking people to stash it, don't trash it, and bring it to the third-annual Cumberland Repair Caf茅.
"Do you have items that you have been meaning to fix, but don鈥檛 know how? The (volunteers at the) Cumberland Repair Caf茅 are here to help," a CSSS release says.
The event, now in its third year, is scheduled for April 26 at the Cumberland Community School, Beaufort Gym from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This community event provides an alternative for household items destined for the landfill to be repaired and reused for free.
鈥淟ast year we more than doubled the number of items fixed at the Cumberland Repair Cafe! This demonstrates the continued need to host these in the Valley, and that people are remembering to hold on to their items and bring them to Repair Cafes. We are delighted to once again be partnering with the Comox Strathcona Waste Management to help in their goal of having biannual Repair Cafes in the Comox Valley,鈥� says Kate Ashton, Program Coordinator for CCSS.
Lindsay Eason and Tina Willard-Stepan, educators for Comox Strathcona Waste Management, are excited to support this community initiative, which tackles waste diversion through public education.
鈥淩epairing items is an essential part of keeping products in use, rather than immediately recycling them or throwing them out when something goes wrong,鈥� says Eason. 鈥淟earning how to repair your own stuff can build lifelong skills that save money and reduce waste.鈥�
Lake Trail Community Education Society held their third Repair Cafe this fall and doubled the number of repaired items compared to the year before. 鈥淭here is a growing awareness of Repair Cafes in the Comox Valley,鈥� says Willard-Stepan. 鈥淭hat means residents are deciding to hold on to their broken items and bring them to Repair Cafes to be fixed, instead of throwing them away.鈥�
The Cumberland Repair Caf茅 is also looking for volunteers for this event. If anyone have expertise in fixing items such as jewellry, leather, wool, small appliances, toys, or electronics, they are asked please email the Ashton at coordinator@ccssociety.org to sign up as a volunteer. Each volunteer gets their own station and is provided with lunch and snacks.
