Columbia Springs’ Repair Clark County program will return with in-person fixing events and remote repair in the new year

After three complicated years and many COVID-related adaptations, the Repair Clark County program has scheduled a jam-packed year of free fixing of your broken household goods. In 2023, all odd months will bring a live fixing event at various locations throughout the county, such as the Camas library and the Battle Ground Community Center. In the even months, 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.” says Terra Heilman, the manager of the program. “When the pandemic hit, we had to rethink everything, since we were regularly bringing together 35-45 volunteers to serve between 80-120 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 schedule for 2023 will meld the two models together, with odd months bringing in-person fixing and on even months, 1 drop off event at each of the 4 branches. “This will allow us to serve our community with the best of both worlds,” says Heilman. 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 percent range. Heilman adds, “If you bring us something broken, the odds are really good you’ll go home with something working.”  

The program is almost completely volunteer based. Ms. Heilman is the only paid staff and works for Columbia Springs, a 100-acre outdoor and environmental education center on Evergreen Highway. “We believe repair is full circle stewardship and we’re thrilled to offer this free service to the community.” says Kat Cory, the executive director of Columbia Springs. Volunteers repair broken appliances and electronics, jewelry, home decor, sew rips or tears in clothing, and sharpen dull knives and tools. 

Anyone interested in volunteering can attend a free volunteer training in the evening of Jan. 10. The training will serve as a refresher for fixers who haven’t participated in a live event in a few years as well as welcome many new volunteers to the program. Even if you don’t have fixing knowledge, with 120 attendees, lots of event management help is always needed as well. People with electronics fixing knowledge are particularly needed at this time.  

How to get involved

If you have broken items and want to give them some extended life, visit columbiasprings.org/repair to see the 2023 schedule. The first in-person event will be held at the Camas Public Library on Sat., Jan. 21 from 12-2 p.m..

Volunteer training link

About Columbia Springs

Columbia Springs, founded in 2001, provides tens of thousands of children and their families the opportunity to fall in love with nature. Columbia Springs continues to build a community of life-long learners and land stewards through our educational opportunities, walking trails, events and workshops.

​Located on a 100-acre natural area in the city of Vancouver, Columbia Springs is dedicated to providing outdoor recreation and science education close to home. The Repair Clark County program offers free fixing events, repair skills workshops and other waste reduction programming throughout Clark County.