^.ìnrtlanh OObscrtier
Page 16
September 7, 2011
Tools for Community Empowerment
Check-out tool libraries has
neighbors helping neighbors
C ari H achmann
T he P or i i . a m ) O bserver
by
W hen T rin g o B ek ele, a
Gresham resident, walked into
Home Depot to buy a lawn
mower, a lady there told her to
try the Northeast Portland Tool
Library instead, where local resi­
dents can rent tools for free.
A humane suggestion in con­
trast to what Home Depot might
consider horrible customer ser­
vice, but during rougher eco­
nomic times, perhaps people are
looking out for their own and not
corporate profits.
Moreover, in a time when in­
dividual consumption breeds tall
egos, gated communities, and
plain overabundance, many may
wonder if an old-fashioned sense
of community that once permit­
ted people the comfort in bor-
rowing from their neighbors —
still exists.
Well, it does— If you happen
to be neighbors with one of the
three non-profit Tool Libraries
in Southeast, North, or North­
east Portland. Future sites are
bei ng pianned for Vancou ver and
southwest Portland.
On a busy Saturday morning
inside the bright basement cor­
n er o f R ed eem er L utheran
Church on Northeast 20th and
Killingworth, home of the North­
east Portland Tool Library,
Bekele and three of her children,
became one of 2,100 members
who can checkout tools for free
on two days of the week, includ­
ing Wednesday evenings.
photo by C ari H achmann / T iie P ortland O bserver
Formed by Tom and Eric Fair- The Northeast Portland Tool Library is located in the basement of
Laymen after the idea came Redeemer Lutheran Church on Northeast 20th Avenue and
about during a neighborhood as- Killingsworth Street.
Join us for
The Jewish
New Year
Celebration
Friday, September 30th at 7pm
Join us fora night of
FRIDAY,
OCTOBER 7 th
AT 7 pm
WE WILL BE RECEIVING OUR FIRST FRUITS OFFERING
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14TH AT 7 P M
N e w S o n g C o m m u n ity C o m e r
2511NE MIK Blvd• Portland. OR 97212
Comer of NE NILK Blvd and Russell Street
Doors open at 6pm for every service.
For directions or more information, call 503-488-5481
or log on to w w w . m f h m p o r t l a n d . c o m
sociation meeting, the volunteer-
run library offers hundreds of
tools to community members 18
or older living in the northeast
area west of 82nd Avenue.
What started in a church ga­
rage with a machete and 6 other
donated tools soon evolved into
a community hub that rents over
300 tools —welders, jacks ham­
mers, grinders, table saws, to the
more commonly used hoes, rakes,
shovels, and mowers— on any
given weekend.
“Many tools are things people
wouldn’t use but once or twice a
year or in their life, so it would be
silly to buy," said Robert Bowles,
the volunteer treasurer who’s
been around since the tool
library’s opening three years ago.
Nearly all of the tools are
donated, but a few are bought
with late fees, which charges $ 1
a day for a tools returned after
10 a.m. the following Saturday.
Members can check out up to
seven tools per week, ranging
from carpentry and woodwork­
ing tools, to garden and power
tools, as well as mechanical and
drywall supplies.
“A lot of people don’t have
knowledge or finances to main­
tain and improve their living situ­
ation," said Will, who frequented
the tool library every weekend in
search of project ideas before
he became a volunteer there.
W hile se a so n a l u p k eep
projects has weed whackers and
lawn mowers flying out the door
in the summer months and com­
pressors during the winter, many
people come to the library seek­
ing not only home improvements,
but ideas for new projects.
During the late fall, the tool
library offers a ‘Putting Away
your G arden’ class and a ‘W ak­
ing Up your Garden’ class in the
early spring. Other classes are
usually offered one a month, such
as seed saving and deck building
for adults and bird-house con­
struction for kids.
The Northeast Portland Tool
Library website, neptl.org, also
lists the variety of tools offered
as well as inform ational re­
sources like How to Build a
Garden Bench.
“People can empower them­
selves and improve their life, and
it feels good to be apart of that,"
Will said, who likes to find out
what projects people are work­
ing for their home.
When Bekele walked in look­
ing for a lawn mower, she had no
continued
on page 18
Holton Youth
Basketball Series
In an effort to help youth
basketball players prepare for
th eir upcom ing season, the
M ichael H olton B asketball
Academy is inviting boys and
girls to attend Elite Individual
Skill D evelopm ent series dur­
ing the month of Septem ber,
which includes workouts de­
signed to help players execute
fundam ental skills in a com ­
petitive environm ent.
Seven, one hour sessions will
focus on ball-handling, shooting,
passing, footwork, as well as
individual and team defense.
The trainings begin this week
at Pearl Court, 1425 N.W. 16th
Ave. For more information and
o n lin e re g is tra tio n , v isit
holtonbasketball.com or call 503-
517-9090.