Repair Clark County plans both in-person and remote events

After three years of COVID-19 adaptations, the Columbia Springs’ Repair Clark County program will host both in-person and remote repair events throughout Clark County in 2023.

During the odd-numbered months, such as January, the program will host live fixing events at various locations throughout the county, such as the Camas Public Library and the Battle Ground Community Center.

The first in-person event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Camas Public Library, 625 N.E. Fourth Ave., Camas.

During even-numbered months, such as February, community members can still drop off their broken items at four partnering library branches and pick them up later.

“It’s been a wild ride for us, as it has been for many,” said Repair Clark County program manager Terra Heilman. “When the pandemic hit, we had to rethink everything, since we were regularly bringing together 35 to 45 volunteers to serve between 80 and 120 clients at these events.”

The program eventually moved to a “remote repair” model where community members could drop off their broken items (or torn clothing, dull knives, etc.) and pick them up when they were ready at four Fort Vancouver Regional Library branches.

The program’s new hybrid model, with live repair events during the odd months and drop-off, remote repairs done during the even months, will allow Repair Clark County to “serve our community with the best of both worlds,” Heilman said.

When items need more time, tools, talent or parts, they can be barcoded and sent through the remote program, which has increased the repair rate to be regularly in the 90% range.

The program is almost completely volunteer-based. Heilman is the only paid staff member, and works for Columbia Springs, a 100-acre outdoor and environmental education center located on Evergreen Highway in Vancouver.

Volunteers repair broken appliances and electronics, jewelry, home decor, sew rips or tears in clothing and sharpen dull knives and tools.

Repair Clark County is hosting a volunteer training session the evening of Jan. 10, to serve as a refresher for fixers who haven’t participated in a live event in a few years as well as to welcome new volunteers. Volunteers who have electronics-repair knowledge are particularly needed at this time.

For more information, visit columbiasprings.org/repair.