January Repair Cafe News

We held a leisurely eight repair cafes in December, but that doesn't mean things have slowed down here at RCHV. December saw the first Croton/Cortlandt Repair Cafe, held in Croton (see volunteers above with Croton's Mayor Brian Pugh, 2nd from left), and the first Mahopac Repair Cafe, our only one currently in Putnam County. Several new cafes are already slated to join us in 2024, so stay tuned for our new locations.

So Long 2023, Hello 2024!

Schenectady Repair Cafe Organizer and skilled fixer Dave West (above) played Santa at the Capital Region traumatic brain injury rehabilitation center's pediatric unit earlier this month; he rode over on his recumbent trike so he could also participate in a mini-parade with the fire department directly afterwards.

The work of Repair Cafe Hudson Valley is only possible due to the volunteer power of so many incredible people like Dave (above). Our volunteers put in countless hours organizing and staffing repair cafes in their own town as well as mentoring those in other communities looking to start their own. And many of our fixers spend almost every Saturday fixing stuff--all for free. Why do we do it? Because it's so much fun! Repair Cafes aren't just fix-it shops, they're pop up community centers. You are always welcome to join us to get something fixed--but you're also welcome to join us on the other side of the table. And you don't have to be handy to play a vital role in the repair cafe community; we always need volunteers with lots of different skill sets. Bakers, organizers, those with computer skills or just people skills--we need you! Reach out to fromer@sustainhv.org if you'd like to get involved with a cafe in your area.


And if you don't have time to volunteer, you can still make a difference with a donation. Donations are how we pay for coffee and snacks for our guests and lunch for our fixers and volunteers. Donations also help us keep our supply kits stocked so we can fix whatever may come through our doors. Tax deductible donations made through the below link go to our fiscal sponsor, the 501(c)3 Sustainable Hudson Valley, and will go towards RCHV if you make a note that your donation should be designated for Repair Cafe.

Donate to RCHV

RCHV starts off the new year with a brisk 11 repair cafes throughout our ever-expanding coverage area. There are a lot of cafes in Dutchess County in January, including the return of the Red Hook and Hyde Park cafes.

January 2024 Repair Cafe Calendar

For more information, visit our online calendar.

Repair Coach Corner

Jim Powell, Mechanical/Electrical


Tusten Repair Café (Narrowsburg, NY)

 

One of the perks of having such an extensive network of repair cafes is getting to learn about so many different parts of the state. The Tusten Repair Café in Sullivan County is our most westernmost café. It’s located in Narrowsburg, NY, which is bordered by both the Delaware River and the Pennsylvania state line. Like many other towns in the RCHV network, Narrowsburg is a beloved vacation area and many people move there full time after they fall in love with it after years of vacation visits.

 

Jim Powell, an electrical/mechanical repair coach at the Tusten Repair Café, is just such an example of the area’s lure. He began spending weekends there from his home in New Jersey as early as 1980. Back then, he was working as an industrial engineer, selling custom automation machinery for assembly and packaging. Jim says, “my travels took me into facilities of nearly every industry imaginable including wiring devices, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, automotive, medical devices, and fasteners of all types. The variety of challenges made every week an adventure. Not unlike a Repair Cafe.”

 

When Jim retired seven years ago, he and his wife Sue (a sewing repair coach with the Tusten Repair Café) decided to move to the area. They both enjoyed hands-on projects and were more than happy to volunteer with the cafe a few years ago when Jill Padua, the hardworking organizer of the Tusten Repair Café, asked them to join the fun. Like many other electrical/mechanical repair coaches, Jim sees a lot of lamps, but that doesn’t mean it gets boring; he notes, “Some are quite old, and their history, and that of their owners, is often very interesting and always fun to hear about." And after several years of volunteering, he’s learned not to judge a fix at first glance; sometimes a task may look simple but ends up being challenging, while other times all that is required is quick fix. But he adds, “In either case it’s like a mini adventure, usually shared with a newly met neighbor.”

 

When he’s not volunteering at his local repair café, Jim likes to spend take full advantage of the beautiful area he now calls home, regularly participating in outdoor activities like boating, river canoeing, fishing and hiking. He also enjoys traveling. And if you get a chance to travel to Narrowsburg, don’t forget to check our calendar for the Tusten Repair Café, one of only four in Sullivan County--for now!


RCHV in the News


Photo by Norma Pereira for the Putnam Courier

"What's a Repair Cafe?" (Port Jervis Repair Cafe), Plough Quarterly: No. 38, Winter 2024.


"Mr. Fix-it Visits Repair Cafe." (Mahopac Repair Cafe), Putnam Courier, December 24th, 2023.


"Croton’s first ever Repair Cafe scores resounding success thanks to expert volunteers and superb organization." (Croton/Cortlandt Repair Cafe), The Croton Chronicle, December 11, 2023.

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