Residents in Northern California gathered with broken appliances and cherished belongings, waiting for the doors of the Repair Café to open. Each person held a common hope: that their forgotten or malfunctioning items could be given a second life.
Repairing the future
On January 17, the Tzu Chi Northern California Service Center partnered with the global environmental organization Repair Café to host a "Community Repair Day." This collaboration promoted a "repair instead of discard" lifestyle, marking the first time the two organizations joined forces at the Tzu Chi campus in San Jose.
The Repair Café is a non-profit foundation started by Martine Postma in Amsterdam in 2009. Over the past 15 years, it has grown into a global movement with more than 2,500 locations dedicated to reducing waste and strengthening community bonds. The Silicon Valley branch of the Repair Café has served the local high-tech hub for over a decade, but because it lacks a permanent facility, it relies on community partners for space.
LEFT: The Tzu Chi Northern California "Repair Station" collaborated with the global environmental organization Repair Café for the first time at the San Jose campus. RIGHT: Volunteers register residents in line, tracking progress based on the types of items brought for repair. | Photos: Andy Chiang
Silicon Valley is home to many engineers and skilled hobbyists who love to build and fix things. By working together, we can bring these like-minded people together to share skills while encouraging the community to cherish resources and extend the life of their belongings.
—Minette Sy, Tzu Chi Volunteer
Restoring family memories
For many who visited the station, the items brought in were more than just tools or toys—they were vessels of memory. Eight-year-old Rafael arrived clutching a small toy train, his very first Christmas gift. His mother, Preze, explained that the family gave it to him when he was only two months old. It had circled their Christmas tree for eight years until it suddenly stopped working.
Though his parents had tried to fix it themselves and even bought a replacement, Rafael missed his original train. After a volunteer’s careful adjustments, the wheels began to turn again. Rafael’s "luck" turned into a continuation of a family tradition.
LEFT: Minette Sy (left), an organizer of the event, notes that Silicon Valley is full of talented engineers who can help the community cherish resources. RIGHT: Jess (right), the coordinator for Repair Café Silicon Valley, manages the flow of the busy event. | Photos: Andy Chiang
The coordinator for the Repair Café Silicon Valley branch, Jess, is a professional in emergency services. During the planning phases, he visited the Tzu Chi campus and found a deep resonance with the foundation’s principles of disaster relief and environmental protection. "The spirit of immediate giving and selfless care matches my professional experience," Jess remarked. He hopes that through this partnership, the spirit of environmentalism and compassion will be passed on through every repaired object.
A workshop of connection
The variety of items was immense: rice cookers, kettles, heaters, sewing machines, and vacuum cleaners. A resident named Jennifer even arrived in a pickup truck with an aluminum screen door that needed new rollers.
Among the volunteers was Tyler, a software engineer in language technology. Standing tall among the sewing machines, his connection to the craft began at age ten when his grandmother taught him to sew on a Singer machine. Five years ago, he picked up the hobby again to tailor his own clothes. Now, he uses those skills to help neighbors mend bags and clothing.
LEFT: Sewing volunteer Tyler (right) traces his love for mending back to childhood memories with his grandmother. RIGHT: Jennifer (left) rings the bell in celebration after her screen door is successfully repaired. | Photos: Andy Chiang
One of the most moving moments involved a 90-year-old woman who walked in with a cane, cradling a doll with a broken leg. The doll belonged to her 62-year-old daughter and had been a constant companion for over six decades. To the elderly mother, the doll was a bridge to her daughter’s childhood. As volunteers meticulously reattached the limb and ensured it was secure, the doll "stood" once more—a restored symbol of a mother’s enduring love.
The sound of success
In the parking lot, a specialized bicycle repair station was managed by volunteers Steven Leong (梁錦理) and John Joseph Ochoa. As avid cyclists who commute by bike, they used their expertise to ensure residents could ride safely and sustainably.
LEFT: A resident watches expectantly as a volunteer works to repair a malfunctioning vacuum cleaner. RIGHT: In addition to various tools, the Repair Café brings a wide assortment of spare parts to meet repair needs. | Photos: Andy Chiang
By the end of the day, over 200 items had been repaired—more than double the Repair Café’s usual average of 75. Each time a repair was successful, volunteers rang a bell and announced,
We fixed it! We saved another life!
While not every item could be restored, the effort itself created a cycle of kindness. While residents waited, Tzu Chi volunteers served tea and snacks, sharing the philosophy of "cherishing blessings." By choosing to fix rather than discard, the community shifted its perspective on value, proving that even broken things deserve a second chance.
Written by Ci Qian Hsu (徐慈謙) and Joli Liu (劉鐘玲)
