Vancouver and Keizer menders want to keep repair culture alive

When Keizer resident Jim Carlisle was growing up, local repair shops and service centers for household appliances, clothing, and furniture were ubiquitous. He says they were on “every streetcorner.” But repair shops and mending saw a massive decline in the late 20th century with the rise of mass production and trends toward disposable products. Carlisle is trying to keep repair culture alive. He attends repair cafes - community events, often free, where people can bring their broken items and have them repaired by a volunteer.

Terra Heilman used to run these repair cafes, and she now runs a repair program at ReTails Thrift Store in Clark County. While working in waste reduction, the culture around these repair cafes caught her eye as something that could really make a difference. We’ll talk to Heilman and Carlisle about what they’re doing to keep repair culture alive

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