Volunteer fixer Christian, left, repairs a lamp for a customer while chatting with Krissan Veerasingam and Fizza Khalid at the Mid-Scarborough Hub Repair Café.Alex Franklin
Once a month, volunteers gather in a Scarborough, Ont., community centre to fix broken appliances, bicycles, housewares and computers and mend torn clothing – all for free. The Mid-Scarborough Hub Repair Café was launched 18 months ago by Krissan Veerasingam and Fizza Khalid, a couple on a mission to make Scarborough a kinder, greener place.
They both have day jobs – Mr. Veerasingam is a software developer, Ms. Khalid is a health and safety adviser – but volunteering is a big part of their lives. They founded the Scarborough Environmental Association (SEA), a non-profit organization that hosts events like pollinator plant giveaways, clothing swaps, sewing workshops and park clean-ups. The Repair Café is a key SEA initiative, focused on supporting low-income and historically disenfranchised communities. (Repair Cafés originated in Amsterdam in 2009 and there are now more than 3500 of them around the world.)
In this series, Reimagining Wealth, we explore the evolving definition of wealth in today’s world. Here is more from Mr. Veerasingam and Ms. Khalid on how their passion for sustainability is nurturing communities and their own personal growth.
Tell me about what goes on at the Repair Café.
Veerasingam: People bring all sorts of stuff – appliances, clothing, bikes, computers. Even a lawn mower once, and it was fixed.
Khalid: We really try to make it a social atmosphere. We try to create an environment where everyone feels included. We run other events in conjunction with the Repair Café, like a clothing swap, and we have snacks. Most people come not only to get something fixed, but also to socialize, because we see the same people coming back. Everything is volunteer run, from the fixers to the people who bring food.
A fixer puts in a zipper at the Repair Café.Alex Franklin
What initially sparked your interest in repair work?
Veerasingam: Growing up, I lived in a low-income apartment building. My dad was always social with a lot of people in the building. He was a fixer. They would come to him with old blenders or their car wouldn’t start and he’d be the person they would go to and though he didn’t speak much English, people from various backgrounds would find him somehow. Though he was retired, his willingness to share his skills showed me the value of community service. Many of our volunteer fixers are retired folks and [volunteering] is a way for them to give back, avoid social isolation and stay in touch with their community.
If we have one overarching goal with our organization, across all our programs, it’s addressing social isolation. And we found that repair cafés are a great medium to do that.
Can you share a moment that illustrates the impact this initiative has had on people’s lives?
Khalid: I remember one individual who needed a kettle to be fixed. While she was there, she came over to the clothing swap area with her newborn. At that time, we were doing a back-to-school kids clothing swap. She was so happy, [saying], ‘I could not afford children clothing. It’s just very expensive and I am new here.’ She literally called her husband and [said], ‘We’re going to get clothes for our kids now.’
It was such a nice experience for us that day. It took two to three hours of prep, and we were able to fix her kettle and provide kids’ clothes for years. I think a lot of newcomers rely on these programs, and I don’t think that we understand the extent of how important the programs are to them.
Veerasingam: A lot of people growing up in semi-suburbs like Scarborough, they don’t build as many community connections. The sense of community adds a level of fulfilment to our lives. There’s a richness in knowing your neighbours and sharing skills.
‘Volunteer power is so important,’ says Krissan Veerasingam, right, with Fizza Khalid.Alex Franklin
Have you learned anything about yourself through volunteering?
Khalid: I think learning people’s stories and understanding from a very empathetic point of view, I’ve been able to broaden my perspective. Like, ‘I know someone who experienced this, too.’ I think that creates this sense that we really are all in this together and experiencing very similar things.
Veerasingam: I realized I take more initiative than I thought, because whenever we get a grant declined or anything like that, I figure out a way to do it. For example, when we didn’t get a grant for our sewing program, I asked our volunteers if anyone wanted to teach sewing, looked for donated or very affordable sewing machines on Facebook Marketplace, and got a program running weekly. Volunteer power is so important.
