Newsletter July 2013, Number 74

MOAH Continues To Host Palo Alto Repair Café

MOAH hosted two more Palo Alto Repair Cafés, one on February 24th, and one on April 21st. The February event was scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM, but people began lining up long before. The line stretched far past the MOAH driveway onto Homer Avenue, with people towing everything from power tools to vacuum cleaners.

Among the great press for the Repair Café was an article in the Mercury News released the day before the event, which proved to be a huge draw. We estimate that over 300 people came out to have something fixed by one of the 50+ volunteers. But, by halfway through the day, we were turning people away as it was clear there was not enough time to tackle every project. Of the 200 people who were served at this free community event, many had multiple items that needed repair. Items that were saved from the landfill included waffles irons, bicycles, computers, lamps, and even an antique toaster.

Future Palo Alto Repair Cafés, again hosted by MOAH, are planned for July 21 and September 22, 2013. As at the April event, MOAH members will continue to get “front of line access” for the first half hour of the event. Please note that CD players, DVD players, and microwave ovens cannot be accepted for repairs.