Happy Friday! March’s newsletter is a little early to accommodate cross-promotion of a local charity event (see below) but I have been so grateful to see the first signs of spring after such a chilly winter. I hope everyone is doing well!

We are gearing up for our March Repair Cafe, but we’re also preparing to launch a region-wide campaign to recognize International Repair Day this upcoming October. If you’d like to be part of our efforts, let me know!

Here’s a few things we want to share with you:

Next Repair Café: 10:30am-12:30pm Saturday, March 14th

Thomas Jefferson Library

Our next event will be at Thomas Jefferson Library, off the Arlington Boulevard service road.

Here’s the library address:

7415 Arlington Boulevard
Falls Church, VA, 22042-7409

For transit: This location is served by WMATA MetroBus F60, F61, and F62.

By car: This location has a parking lot around the front and side of the library.

Here’s a link to more information about the location: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/thomas-jefferson

Want to help? We’re still looking for a few more volunteers: https://volunteernow.volunteerfairfax.org/custom/1427/opp_details/191096

Mini-Workshop: What comes after Windows 10?

At our March Cafe, we will be debuting a new offering: mini-workshops, running concurrently with Repair Cafe’s normal programming. These mini-workshops are designed to provide free, friendly guidance, bringing neighbors together to address common concerns and provide skill education.

Our first mini-workshop will be a presentation on the end of Windows 10 and different options to make your computer work for you. The mini-workshop will be from about 11am to about 11:30am.

We aim to leave room for questions at the end, but we won’t be able to work 1-on-1 with your computer during the workshop. If you want assistance with your computer, though, you can bring it to be seen during normal Repair Cafe hours, and one of our volunteers will be happy to help!

You can see more about this workshop on Thomas Jefferson Library’s event page here: https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/16214499

If you’re interested in running a mini-workshop with us, send me an email at anicski@proton.me - mini-workshops can be on any topic related to repair, crafting, and other adjacent areas. We’d love to hear your ideas!

Next up: April Café on April 11th 12pm-2pm

Our April Repair Cafe will have a different time because we are honoring the host library’s request for programming space. Doors will open at 12:00pm, and close at 2:00pm. New knife sharpening will end by 1:30pm to give us adequate time to clean up.

Our volunteer sign-up for April is now live! Check it out here: https://volunteernow.volunteerfairfax.org/custom/1427/opp_details/191195

We’ve also added a dedicated role for a second knife sharpener to meet demand for this service as our reach grows across the area.

Haircut Marathon for Charity - March 7th

The Neighborhood Barbershop is hosting their 6th “All-night-long chop-’til-we-drop Charity-Cut-A-Thon” on March 7th! This event starts at 9am on the 7th and goes until 9am on the 8th. If you’re the kind of person who wakes up in the middle of the night needing to cut off your hair before you can truly rest, maybe this is your perfect opportunity?

The Charity Cut-A-Thon benefits Doorways Domestic Violence Shelter, a local support service for survivors of domestic violence. Neighborhood Barbershop is an amazing spot, full of the liveliest, friendliest people around. If you haven’t visited but you’re looking to update your look, I can’t recommend them enough, especially for an event like this.

Here’s what they say about the event:

“We'll be doing haircuts, beard trims, and shaves, just like always, but we'll be doing them ALL NIGHT LONG! We are taking appointments from 9:00am-3:00pm, and then from 3:00pm-9:00am will be on a walk-in basis.” [Source: Instagram]

Dustin, Dmitri, Ivan, Simo, and Bluto will be on staff that day (at least during the day) and they’re happy to work with all genders and ages. Check the stylists’ bios for more information about them and what they can do. The shop is not reachable by phone, but you can make an appointment on their website and send emails with non-urgent questions: https://theneighborhoodbarbershop.com/services.html

I’m planning to stop by in the afternoon - if you’re able, I hope to see you there!

That’s all for now - thank you for your continued support, and I hope you are all staying safe this winter!

Ari Nicholas

Fairfax County Repair Cafe