Learn how to repair your stuff

The next IC Repair event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 20 at East Side Recycling Center, 2401 Scott Blvd. SE in Iowa City.

The event provides a free opportunity for anyone to bring in a broken or worn item to get fixed or mended. Volunteer repair experts assess items and fix them for free, provided they have the needed materials on hand. Lamps, clothing, toys, chairs, and small appliances were some of the most common items fixed at last year’s events.

The volunteers, who have a wide range of skills, focus on teaching guests how to make their own repairs with the hope of instilling more confidence and curiosity in repair culture.

“Part of our goals is to shift people’s mindset to be more about repair and less about automatically throwing something away,” says Jennifer New, one of the co-organizers in a news release.

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IC Repair (formerly Iowa City Repair Café) is organized by Transition Iowa City and co-sponsored by the City of Iowa City, Iowa City ReStore, LENA Project, and University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment.

The January repair event is the first of four to be held in 2024, with others occurring on the third weekends in April, July, and October. Organizers intend to keep certain repair stations available at each event, especially small electronics and sewing, while others will change seasonally. Guests are encouraged to preregister to help volunteers prepare. Register at bit.ly/IC-Repair-Jan2024.

Repairing and maintaining our belongings is a vital skill, and IC Repair is grateful for the numerous experts volunteering their talent, time, and ability to transfer knowledge. Fixing items saves money while also reducing waste from the landfill and shrinking our carbon footprint. The event also includes short demonstrations to encourage people to try these skills at home. January’s demonstrations include furniture refinishing, lamp rewiring, and basic book repair.

“I am most excited about learning more about what the community needs, helping teach people about breathing life back into their shoes, and helping people understand that you don't necessarily need to go out and get a new pair,” said Demetrius Perry, an IC Repair volunteer and the owner of the local sneaker store Vice, at a previous event according to the news release.

Updates regarding specific repair experts and demonstrations will be posted on the group’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/icrepaircafe/. Questions can be sent to icrepaircafe@gmail.com