Repair Cafe a success

The Town of Monroe held its first Repair Cafe at Town Hall on June 28. Nearly 90 people brought in items to be fixed by volunteers. The event was organized and run by the Monroe Conservation Commission with help and support from the Town Board and local residents to repair items that may be discarded and end up in landfills or to fix treasured heirlooms that otherwise could not be.

The volunteers used their expertise to fix a wide range of items that included electrical/mechanical items such as lamps and portable appliances; laptops and tablets; sharpening knifes and scissors; sewing and gluing repairs; and bicycles. Jewelry was repaired by Cyrus Jewelers. Those who brought items in were generally pleased and grateful for the attention their items received, even when, in a few cases, where it was not possible to fix them.

Beck’s Hardware contributed various lamp and electrical parts. Area stores including Bagel Boys, Shop Rite, and Stop & Shop helped out with bagels and refreshments.

Informational tables were also set up during the event. The Monroe Free Library was on hand to promote upcoming events. The Monroe Conservation Commission’s table was lined with books and handouts about preservation, wildlife friendly gardening, and milkweed seedlings - an essential host plant to monarch butterflies that have been in decline in recent years were free to those who wanted them.

Because of its success, another repair cafe is being planned for later this year or early 2026. Other local towns that organize repair cafes have two or more every year. The next one in the area will be at Warwick on July 19.

All Hudson Valley area cafes are organized under the umbrella organization “Repair Cafe Hudson Valley.” For information about them and what they offer, or to find a calendar of up coming cafes, log onto to repaircafehv.org.

For information on how to help support the next Monroe Repair Cafe, email mcc@monroeny.org.