Your Neighbors Know How to Fix Things.
Bringing neighbors together to fix what's broken, reduce waste, and keep skills alive.
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Community United Church of Christ (C&E Room) · 1366 Arroyo Ave, San Carlos, CA
Your Neighbors Know How to Fix Things.
Bringing neighbors together to fix what's broken, reduce waste, and keep skills alive.
A Repair Café is a free community gathering where people bring broken items and work alongside skilled volunteers to fix them together, hands-on.
Born in Amsterdam in 2009, Repair Cafés have spread to almost 4,000 locations worldwide. The idea is simple: instead of throwing something away, bring it in. Volunteer repair coaches (people with real skills in electronics, sewing, mechanics, and more) sit down with you, assess the problem together, and guide you through the repair process. Learn more about the Repair Café Foundation →
This isn't a drop-off service. You roll up your sleeves, work alongside the volunteer, and leave knowing both how to fix your item and a little more about how it works. The volunteer is your guide; you both work together to complete the repair.
Best of all: it's free. No charges, no appointments, no judgment! Donations are appreciated to cover our operating costs and purchase shared tools.
The Peninsula is a vibrant, diverse region stretching along the Bay and the coast. But like everywhere else, we throw too much away.
Create a welcoming space where people from all walks of life meet, connect, and share skills. Repair Cafés are as much about human connection as they are about fixing things.
The Bay Area sends millions of pounds of electronics and household goods to landfill every year. We want to keep as many items as possible out of the waste stream, one repair at a time.
We live in a throwaway culture. Our goal is to connect experienced fixers with people eager to learn; and make repair feel approachable, not intimidating.
We are a small, community-run effort with no corporate backing and no red tape. Just people who believe in fixing things and helping their neighbors.
Got something broken? Bring it and get your hands dirty alongside a volunteer repair coach.
Lamps, fans, radios, chargers, headphones, and similar small appliances: if it plugs in or runs on batteries, bring it in and work with a volunteer to diagnose and fix it.
Torn seams, missing buttons, frayed hems, and worn fabric: bring your clothing, bags, and soft goods and stitch them back together with a volunteer guiding the way.
Wobbly chairs, broken hinges, stuck drawers: bring it in and get hands-on with a volunteer to stabilize, reattach, and restore it together.
Flat tires, slipping chains, squeaky or weak brakes, and gears that won't shift: wheel your bike in and work with a volunteer to tune it up and get it rolling safely again.
Broken toys, chipped mugs, cracked ceramics, broken necklaces, loose clasps, games missing pieces, and the household things that don't fit anywhere else. Roll up your sleeves and puzzle it out with a volunteer, and if it truly can't be fixed, we'll tell you honestly.
If you're unsure, email us at 
before the event.
Our next Repair Café is happening Saturday, October 24th, 2026, from 3–6 PM in the C&E Room at Community United Church of Christ in San Carlos.
1366 Arroyo Ave, San Carlos, CA
⚠️ Check-in closes at 5:30 PM
Free and drop-in for visitors, no appointment needed. Want to help make it happen? Sign up to volunteer, or join our mailing list for reminders and updates.
Keeping our events running requires equipment. Donations of tools and supplies are more impactful than cash at this early stage. If you have any of the following collecting dust, we'd love to give them a new purpose:
RCP runs entirely on the energy of people who give their time. We need repair experts across electronics, sewing, furniture, bicycles, and also designers, photographers, outreach helpers, food & beverage volunteers, and friendly faces to welcome visitors at the door.
You don't need to be a repair expert to make a huge difference. Most of our event support roles require nothing more than enthusiasm and a willingness to show up.
Time commitment: roughly 3–4 hours at a single event, with no ongoing obligation.
See All Volunteer Roles →Drop-in, no appointment needed. Just show up during event hours with your item and we'll get you set up with a volunteer. We may ask you to add your name to a waitlist if things get busy, but there's no pre-registration required.
It varies a lot depending on the item. Simple fixes (a button, a loose connection, etc.) might take 15–20 minutes. More complex repairs could take an hour or more. You'll be working alongside the volunteer the whole time, so plan to stay and be hands-on for the duration.
We'll always be upfront. If a repair is beyond what we can tackle together on the day (wrong tools, missing parts, or a fault that needs a specialist), we'll say so clearly and suggest next steps where we can. We never guarantee a fix, but you and your volunteer will always give it an honest best effort.
We ask that you bring a maximum of one item per visit so that every visitor gets quality time working hands-on with a volunteer. If it's a quiet event, we're happy to tackle more.
Yes, completely free for visitors. Repair Cafés around the world operate on this principle: skilled volunteers give their time, and the community benefits. We may have a tip jar or small donation box for those who want to contribute to future events, but it is never expected or required.
We'd love to have you. Sign up for our mailing list and tell us a bit about your skills and we'll be in touch. We're looking for volunteers who can commit to roughly 3–4 hours at a single event. No prior volunteering experience needed.
Not currently. Repair Café of the Peninsula is a grassroots community initiative. We're starting small to evaluate interest and feasibility before committing to formal incorporation. If the demand is there and it makes sense, we plan to pursue nonprofit status down the road. For now, any donations are not tax-deductible. We appreciate your support regardless.
For the immediate future, we're holding events on the fourth Saturday of each month, same place and time: 3–6 PM in the C&E Room at Community United Church of Christ in San Carlos. Check-in closes at 5:30 PM. This schedule is subject to change, so always check this website for the next event date.
Our next event is Saturday, October 24th, 2026. Sign up for our mailing list for reminders and updates.
Whether you want to volunteer, donate tools, or just be the first to know when we announce our next event; sign up and we'll be in touch.
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