The Sustainable Hebron Task Force and the Town of Salem have joined forces to launch Washington County's first-ever Repair Café on Saturday, April 6, at the Historic Salem Courthouse, 58 Broadway, from 1 pm to 4 pm.

At the Hebron-Salem Repair Café, everything centers on making repairs to broken household items that might normally get discarded and end up in landfills. Bring your items that need repair, and local volunteers will do their best to fix them for free. Our Repair Coaches can work on items such as mendable clothing, lamps, jewelry (no soldering), small appliances, and other electronics, bikes, toys, and small furniture. They can also sharpen knives and scissors. If you know what parts are needed, please bring them with you to save time. The main criterion is that you can carry the item, and guests are expected to stay and perhaps learn how to make repairs themselves while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee.

Evera Sue Clary, Salem Town Supervisor, said: "We are delighted to team up with Sustainable Hebron to bring the Repair Café concept to Washington County. Transitioning away from today's throwaway economy will build community awareness about our planet's larger challenges." Jill Nadolski, Hebron Town Council member, and Sustainable Hebron Coordinator said: "Repair Cafés are a fun way to reduce how much stuff goes into the waste stream, and to preserve traditional repair know-how and pass on those skills to others. We are thankful for the help and support of Repair Café Hudson Valley in getting this first Hebron-Salem Repair Café started." The Hebron-Salem Repair Café is looking for residents with different skills who are handy in making repairs and would enjoy sharing their knowledge with their neighbors. Want to sign up as a volunteer? Send an email to hebronsalemrepaircafe@gmail.com and put "Repair Coach" in the subject line.

The Sustainable Hebron (formerly Climate Smart Hebron) Task Force was formed in January 2022 to promote clean energy and sustainability initiatives in the Town of Hebron, becoming the first town in Washington County to receive the Clean Energy Communities designation by the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority. Task Force members serve as volunteer ambassadors and advocates, spreading the word and developing plans for high-impact actions.  In addition to Ms. Nadolski, current members are Randy Books, Jordan LaMothe, Rich Roman, and Bill Throop. The Task Force also receives free technical assistance from the Capital District Regional Planning Commission's Clean Energy and Climate Smart Communities Coordinators.

The Town of Salem has also taken the Climate Smart Communities pledge and is working with the University of Pennsylvania on actions the town can take to enhance community resilience to climate change. The joint Hebron-Salem Repair Café is the town's first action under this NYS Department of Environmental Conservation program.

To learn more about the international repair café movement, visit www.repaircafehv.org

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May 16, 2024, 9 to 10 AM