While many residents spent the morning of Saturday, Sept. 7, sleeping in, sipping coffee, or tackling household chores, Al Leone was fixing a broken air purifier. The motor and wiring would be no match for the retired electrical engineer, but the real trick was getting it open. “I can’t get in though the top, so there’s got to be another way,” he said.
Leone was one of the local volunteers offering free repairs on small household items during Winter Park’s yearly “Fix It! Don’t Pitch It” workshop, held this year at the Events Center. Leone has been on board since the event began in 2017, when he noticed ads posted at Winter Park Community Center. “I stopped by for a workout and asked if they could use some help,” he said, “and I just keep coming back.”
The event is presented by Winter Park Library and the city’s Natural Resources & Sustainability Department, and in partnership with Orange County and the City of Orlando. Residents can learn helpful tips on repairing and maintaining a variety of items while saving some money, but the real savings is to the environment as every repair equals one less item sent to the landfill.
“I have something I can offer and it’s a nice thing to be able to support the city and help the community,” said Joe Mantemurno as he took a break from fixing a vintage oil lamp to repair a soldering iron for a fellow volunteer.
Meanwhile, Eric Good was trying to dislodge an 8mm cassette from a mini camcorder. “I love fixing things and I love to help people,” he said. Good works as a software coder but also knows woodworking and carpentry; however, the camcorder proved to be beyond his skillset. “Unfortunately, not everything is fixable.”
A total of 38 guests showed up for this year’s workshop and 22 successful repairs were logged. Volunteers can apply to help at future workshops via a form on the library website, and residents have another chance for repairs at Orange County’s workshop, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Marks Street Senior Recreation Complex, 99 E. Marks Street.
For more information on “Fix It! Don’t Pitch It” and Winter Park’s sustainability efforts and events, email sustainability@cityofwinterpark.org or call 407-599-3450.
