Your fan stopped running or your lamp won’t stay lit or your puppy chewed the cord on your vacuum cleaner. We see these problems all of the time at our Hennepin County Fix-It Clinic. Are you curious what your experience might be like?
First step: Bring your item to check-in
You’ll be greeted at the check-in desk by a friendly volunteer who weighs your item (so we can tally up how much we diverted from the waste stream) and asks you what’s wrong with it. Then our announcer announces you and your item to the volunteers in order to pair you with someone who can help. A volunteer raises their hand, and you join them at their table.
Second: Meet with a volunteer and fix it!
You will talk with the volunteer about your issue and problem-solve together to come up with the best fix. You’re encouraged to participate as much as you can because that way you learn about your item, learn how to troubleshoot and disassemble, and have a much more fun and engaged experience.
Third: Learn a new skill
The volunteers will give you lots of encouragement and support as they teach you new skills. Repairs can take anywhere from five minutes to a few hours, depending on the complexity of your repair. There’s great community spirit with multiple people chipping in to help, and happy victories when something gets fixed.
Fourth: Plan for any additional repairs or recycling
Sometimes your item can be fixed right then, sometimes you need to order a part and come back to finish the repair, and sometimes your item can’t be repaired, in which case you’re responsible for the recycling or disposal of your item.
Fifth: Check out and go home
After you’ve finished, you check out at the same desk where you checked in and answer a few questions. Then you’re on your way with your (hopefully) newly repaired item and a few new skills to fix other items!