A simple way to save money while keeping reusable items from being diverted to landfills is to simply repair them when they break.

The San Diego Fix-It Clinic will help the Ramona community do just that in one of its Fix-It Clinics scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, November 16 at the Ramona Community Library. Participants are asked to arrive before 12:30 p.m.

Community members are welcome to bring a small item that is not working or broken to the Fix-It clinic where it can be repaired by a volunteer, said Beth Prinz, vice president of Sustainable Ramona.

The goal of Sustainable Ramona, founded in 2020 and becoming a nonprofit in 2023, is to further engage the community in sustainability by adopting practices such as repairing, recycling, repurposing, and repurposing materials. items, Prinz said.

Items that can be brought to the free clinic include computers and other electronics, small appliances such as toasters and coffee makers, toys and bicycles, jewelry, and clothing and textiles, it said. the organizers.

The clinic is not designed as a drop-off and repair event. Instead, the owner of the item is matched with a repairman to learn the skills needed to repair it.

“People need to be able to carry the items, so nothing bigger than a lawn mower,” Prinz said. “They will sit next to someone who fixes the problem and learn how to fix it themselves.”

The program is sponsored by Zero Waste San Diego, a nonprofit organization founded 17 years ago as a grassroots movement to promote recycling in the city of San Diego.

Founder Laura Anthony said the organization encourages zero waste practices and works with communities on policies that help achieve this. The concept of zero waste is based on managing resources by reducing, reusing, redesigning, repairing and recycling them, she explained.

“The San Diego Fix-It Clinic teaches participants how to become a better consumer by purchasing items that can be repaired rather than thrown away,” Anthony said. “If you can find an item that lasts 20 years, it’s both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.”

The idea for these clinics originated nearly nine years ago, while Anthony was working for the San Diego Public Library system. The clinics were slow to develop until a few years ago, when they began being held regularly in Carlsbad and Chula Vista, Anthony said.

Clinics have been held at various locations such as libraries, senior centers, a private business, and at Earth Day events.

Over the past nine years, the San Diego Fix-It Clinic program has helped divert more than 30,000 pounds of waste from landfills through repair and recycling, Anthony said. What cannot be repaired is recycled, she added.

The last Fix-It clinic in Ramona was held in June 2023

The San Diego Fix-It Clinic is hosting the Ramona Library event this month, but in the future, Sustainable Ramona may host them, Prinz said.

“Laura’s goal is to turn it over to Sustainable Ramona if we can get enough volunteers to repair the items,” she said. “The goal is for each community to put in their own volunteers and do it themselves instead of having to constantly bring in volunteers from down the hill.” »

Volunteers who are proficient with tools and knowledgeable about repairs are in demand, she added. Interested volunteers can contact Sustainable Ramona through its website, SustainableRamona.com, or by email at [email protected].

Although Ramona’s Fix-It Clinic accepts walk-in customers, those in need of repairs are encouraged to RSVP online at SDFixItClinic.org.