FreeSource is excited and honored to partner with the Thomas Dunn Learning Center and the Sustainable Backyard Network to launch Repair Café St. Louis, an evolution of our previous Tech Support Café program. While we previously focused solely on technology repair, we're now expanding to include a much wider range of items and repair skills!
Repair Café is a program in which people gather to help each other fix broken items, build repair skills, boost self-confidence, and strengthen community bonds—all while reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
Repair Café St. Louis is a recurring event where participants can receive free repair assistance and peer mentorship from volunteer repair specialists in a welcoming, friendly, and accessible workshop atmosphere.
What We Repair
Our volunteer fixers can help with many types of items, including:
Electronics & computers
Small household appliances
Bicycles
Clothing & textiles
Wooden furniture
And more!
Program Goals
In creating this program, FreeSource hopes to:
Foster digital inclusion by providing opportunities for people to build skills relating to repair and maintenance.
Remove technical barriers to self-actualization by providing opportunities for people to troubleshoot malfunctioning devices at no monetary cost.
Foster a greater understanding of the effects of electronic waste in regard to human rights and the environment, and reduce said waste by providing opportunities to fix malfunctioning and damaged equipment, as well as discover new uses for ostensibly obsolete equipment.
Promote repair as a better alternative to throwing things away.
Pass on valuable practical knowledge and skills.
Foster community building by creating opportunities for neighbors to meet and collaborate.
Reduce waste by extending the lifespan of everyday items.
Challenge the throwaway mentality by showing that repairs can be fun and often quite simple.
Continue our mission of digital inclusion while expanding to other areas of sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Repair Café and where did the concept come from? Repair Café was founded in Amsterdam in 2009 by Martine Postma, who wanted to take practical local action in the field of sustainability. The Repair Café Foundation was subsequently established to provide support to local groups around the world who wanted to start their own Repair Cafés. Today, there are over 2,200 Repair Cafés worldwide.
How often do you hold this event? We're launching with our first event on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Once we're able to determine the level of interest and volunteer capacity, we'll establish a regular schedule. Many Repair Cafés worldwide operate on a monthly basis.
How many items can you help me with during an event? We ask that visitors start with one item per person. If time permits and volunteers are available, we'll be happy to look at additional items. Please understand that complex repairs might not be completed in a single session.
What happens during a Repair Café visit? When you arrive, you'll register your item at the welcome desk. We'll direct you to the appropriate repair specialist. You'll sit with the volunteer while they examine and repair your item, learning about the repair process. We encourage you to be part of the repair process—our motto is "repair together"!
Are repairs guaranteed? No. Our volunteers will do their best, but we can't guarantee that every item can be repaired. Some items may be beyond repair, require parts we don't have, or need more specialized equipment. However, even if we can't fix it, you'll often learn why it broke and what would be needed for repair.
What if I need a replacement part? If your item requires a replacement part that we don't have available, our volunteers will help identify what you need and suggest where you might obtain it. You can then bring the item back to a future Repair Café once you have the part.
I'm good at fixing things. Can I volunteer? Absolutely! We're always looking for repair specialists in any field to increase our capacity to help people. Whether you're skilled with electronics, appliances, bicycles, sewing, woodworking, or any other repair specialty, we'd love to have you join our team. Please email us at [email protected] for more information.
I'm not very good at repairs. Can I still volunteer? Of course! In addition to repair specialists, we also need welcome desk volunteers, café hosts, and logistical support. We also welcome "repair apprentices"—people who want to learn repair skills by shadowing our specialists. In either case, please email us at [email protected] if you're interested!
I represent a local community organization, and we would love to host a Repair Café. Would you consider partnering with us? Yes! One of our goals is to spread the Repair Café concept throughout the St. Louis region. Please email us at [email protected] to discuss potential collaboration.
How is this different from your previous Tech Support Café? Our Tech Support Café focused exclusively on computers, smartphones, and other digital devices. While we'll still offer tech repair at our Repair Café events, we're now expanding to include clothing repair, bicycle maintenance, furniture restoration, small appliance repair, and more! This allows us to help more people with a wider range of items while building an even stronger repair community.
Repair Café
FreeSource is excited and honored to partner with the Thomas Dunn Learning Center and the Sustainable Backyard Network to launch Repair Café St. Louis, an evolution of our previous Tech Support Café program. While we previously focused solely on technology repair, we're now expanding to include a much wider range of items and repair skills!
Repair Café is a program in which people gather to help each other fix broken items, build repair skills, boost self-confidence, and strengthen community bonds—all while reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
Repair Café St. Louis is a recurring event where participants can receive free repair assistance and peer mentorship from volunteer repair specialists in a welcoming, friendly, and accessible workshop atmosphere.
What We Repair
Our volunteer fixers can help with many types of items, including:
Program Goals
In creating this program, FreeSource hopes to:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Repair Café and where did the concept come from?
Repair Café was founded in Amsterdam in 2009 by Martine Postma, who wanted to take practical local action in the field of sustainability. The Repair Café Foundation was subsequently established to provide support to local groups around the world who wanted to start their own Repair Cafés. Today, there are over 2,200 Repair Cafés worldwide.
How often do you hold this event?
We're launching with our first event on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Once we're able to determine the level of interest and volunteer capacity, we'll establish a regular schedule. Many Repair Cafés worldwide operate on a monthly basis.
How many items can you help me with during an event?
We ask that visitors start with one item per person. If time permits and volunteers are available, we'll be happy to look at additional items. Please understand that complex repairs might not be completed in a single session.
What happens during a Repair Café visit?
When you arrive, you'll register your item at the welcome desk. We'll direct you to the appropriate repair specialist. You'll sit with the volunteer while they examine and repair your item, learning about the repair process. We encourage you to be part of the repair process—our motto is "repair together"!
Are repairs guaranteed?
No. Our volunteers will do their best, but we can't guarantee that every item can be repaired. Some items may be beyond repair, require parts we don't have, or need more specialized equipment. However, even if we can't fix it, you'll often learn why it broke and what would be needed for repair.
What if I need a replacement part?
If your item requires a replacement part that we don't have available, our volunteers will help identify what you need and suggest where you might obtain it. You can then bring the item back to a future Repair Café once you have the part.
I'm good at fixing things. Can I volunteer?
Absolutely! We're always looking for repair specialists in any field to increase our capacity to help people. Whether you're skilled with electronics, appliances, bicycles, sewing, woodworking, or any other repair specialty, we'd love to have you join our team. Please email us at [email protected] for more information.
I'm not very good at repairs. Can I still volunteer?
Of course! In addition to repair specialists, we also need welcome desk volunteers, café hosts, and logistical support. We also welcome "repair apprentices"—people who want to learn repair skills by shadowing our specialists. In either case, please email us at [email protected] if you're interested!
I represent a local community organization, and we would love to host a Repair Café. Would you consider partnering with us?
Yes! One of our goals is to spread the Repair Café concept throughout the St. Louis region. Please email us at [email protected] to discuss potential collaboration.
How is this different from your previous Tech Support Café?
Our Tech Support Café focused exclusively on computers, smartphones, and other digital devices. While we'll still offer tech repair at our Repair Café events, we're now expanding to include clothing repair, bicycle maintenance, furniture restoration, small appliance repair, and more! This allows us to help more people with a wider range of items while building an even stronger repair community.