At the Portland Repair Meetup, Isaac Edmondson, center, helps fix a stereo with a tape deck. Contributed / Ali Mann

In the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization on Sunday afternoon, Gary Randall prodded a tin box for Black & White scotch whisky, inside of which were two mechanical dog heads that once popped up out of the box and barked. As the antique robotic no longer functioned, the Portland resident wanted to fix it so that his grandchildren could see it in action.

Sitting before his table of tools, Sheldon Bird helped Randall investigate the mechanics of the odd contraption. The two eventually figured out what needed to be tightened and what part Randall had to order to fix the novelty item.

Sheldon Bird, a Portland Repair Meetups regular, sits behind the Black & White scotch whisky robotic dogs that he helped repair. Sophie Burchell / The Forecaster

“There’s a system, and you kind of understand generally what blocks are in there, what functions need to happen,” said Bird.

At the Portland Repair Meetups, community members gather monthly to fix broken items, most of which are small appliances and textiles. At the gathering on Sunday, Dec. 8, attendees of all ages worked on repairing their quilts, lamps, coffee grinders and sweaters, as well as the robot dogs.

Portland resident Ali Mann first organized the meetups in April 2023. The meetups – also known as Ripe for Repair meetups– are in some ways like Repair Cafés, a global movement where experts are available at public venues to help the populace with small fixes free of charge. While they share the ethos of repairing broken items for free, the Portland Repair Meetups are more organic and collaborative, as community members come together to share whatever skills they have for repairs and gather around tasks.

“I just basically invited everybody I knew to come together to help each other fix things, and I hoped that people would have skills that I didn’t know about, which ended up being true, and also that people would show up who I didn’t know who had skills, and that also ended up being true,” said Mann.

Skilled attendees who showed up include Bird, who has a background in boat and computer repair, and Paul Oppenheim, who was a field engineer for computers. Both men also help at the Repair Cafés at the libraries in Bath and Brunswick and have attended almost every Portland Repair Meetup since its beginning with their boxes of tools. While the Repair Cafés model has the larger goal of sustainability and waste reduction, both Mann and Bird see the Portland Repair Meetups as having a more social and collaborative focus.

“It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t save the planet. It builds community, which makes Maine better. It elevates the city. Everything touches everything else,” said Bird.

Inside the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Association “Hill House,” attendees work to fix a variety of small appliances and textiles. Contributed / Ali Mann

Gathering with a purpose

The group first met at the East End Community School and now gathers at the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization, with plans to hold three meetups this winter at Woodfords Corner at Odd Fellows Hall. The meetups are free, receive no funding, and typically attract about 25 people.

“Some people have a ton of very specialized skills. Some people have no skills at all. Some people come with things that they want to get fixed or learn how to fix themselves. And some people just show up because they want to help other people,” said Mann.

A range of items have been put back into use after a trip to the Portland Repair Meetups, including electric tea kettles, antique music boxes, stereos, lamps and power tools. Someone typically helps others mend clothes with a sewing machine, and many attendees are skilled at darning sweaters and hand-stitching repairs, sharing their advice with the novices and fixing worn sweaters, ripped pants, well-loved quilts, pillows and bikinis.

“I hope that it makes people look at the stuff around them differently. I hope it makes people feel a little more invested in holding on to things, that it’s possible to hold on to things longer. I hope it makes people feel like they also either have the skills or can pretty easily get the skills to fix things themselves,” said Mann.

At the meetup, Ruth Alden mended a torn pair of jeans with sashiko, a Japanese style of mending fabric using small visible stitches in a decorative pattern. While she technically could do the repairs alone, Alden said that after her first time coming to the Portland Repair Meetups she appreciated the social support on the project that she had been meaning to do for a long time.

Ruth Alden works on patching a tear in some jeans using the Japanese technique of sashiko. Sophie Burchell / The Forecaster

“I have a toddler at home, and I wanted to go somewhere and take the time. It felt inviting, I think. Other people are in the same boat with projects to finish. And it was so much fun! After I left, I felt so good, I said ‘I got to do this again,’” she said.

“This kind of activity is better done in community. Crafts can be such a community activity,” she said.

Mann hopes the repair meetups help foster a sense of support and connection in the community.

“I also hope that it helps people continue to learn how to trust each other and trust strangers, and just to be in a space where people are being generous with each other and helping each other out, not because they’re getting paid, but just because they’re remembering that that’s actually a really joyful thing that feels powerful,” she said.

Hannah Charlson and Julia Busby came to the Portland Repair Meetup together; they have been looking for ways to branch out and connect with more of the Portland community after moving to the city post-college. Learning to sew with instruction from Charlson, Busby was stitching up a hole in a T-shirt for a collegiate rugby championship.

“It had a tiny hole for like a year, and I haven’t worn it … because I was like ‘I can’t wear it until I fix it.’ So here I am, learning to sew for the first time,” said Busby.

“It does feel good to learn how to sustainably maintain my own clothes,” said Charlson, who was patching up a large tear in a pair of shorts. “But it’s really a way to bring people together.”