MISSOULA - Maybe you have a dinner table chair that is broken or that clock of your grandmother's that just doesn't work anymore and you don't know how to fix it.
Lucky for you, there's a group in Missoula that wants to help.
When a beloved item is damaged, most of us will throw it away and buy a replacement.
But why not try and repair it first?
Home ReSource in Missoula is aiming to teach those of us with limited repair skills how to fix our broken possessions.
Zero Waste educator Emma Swartz says Home ReSource is essentially a Goodwill for household items.
“So, bathtubs, lumber, toilets, light switch covers, anything from your house, you can donate these things here," Swartz said.
The center's fixit clinic encourages people to bring in their ripped clothing, damaged appliances and other broken items where volunteers with various repair skills were waiting to help.
“Whatever we can do to help folks reuse, extend, extend what they have, especially beloved items,” explained fixit coach John Crawford.
Participants Jeremy Drake and his son Sylvan brought a broken hoverboard, an air filter and a winter jacket in for repairs.
"Well, I come to the fixit clinic through the zero waste perspective. So, I love the idea of people being empowered to repair things instead of throwing them away and replacing them,” Jeremy told MTN News.
The Home ReSource Fixit Clinic allows them to promote sustainability and reduce landfill waste by teaching people how to repair the items they were otherwise going to throw away.
“So, really empowering folks to think about what they're taking from the Earth and what they can do to take less from the Earth,” Swartz said.
More information on how to register for the next fixit clinic, or to become a fixit clinic coach, can be found here.
