Don't Toss It! A Chat with a Community Repair Volunteer
School Reporter: Welcome to our school newspaper, Ms. Rivera! You volunteer at the town's monthly fix-it clinic. Can you tell us what happens there?
Ms. Rivera: Thanks for having me! A repair clinic is a place where neighbors bring broken household items instead of throwing them into the trash. Volunteer helpers, like me, look at the items alongside the owners. Together, we see if we can safely mend them or give them a new purpose.
School Reporter: When someone brings in an item, how do you decide whether it can be fixed?
Ms. Rivera: We start by inspecting the item carefully, like a detective looking for clues. We ask simple questions. Is a piece simply loose? Is something torn along a seam? Sometimes, an object just needs a good cleaning or a tightened screw. If the structure is still strong, there is a very good chance it can be saved.
School Reporter: What are some common things that families can fix easily?
- volunteer:
- A person who chooses to do helpful work without getting paid.
- mend:
- To repair or fix something that is broken or torn.
- inspecting:
- Looking at something very closely and carefully.
- structure:
- The way the main parts of an object are built and held together.
- sturdy:
- Strong and firmly built so it will not break easily.
- landfill:
- A designated place where community trash is dumped and buried.
- confidence:
- A feeling of trust in your own ability to do something well.
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About this interview / q&a passage for 3rd Grade
“Don't Toss It! A Chat with a Community Repair Volunteer” is a interview / q&a reading passage about Repairing and Reusing Household Items, written for 3rd Grade. It takes about 3 minutes to read (493 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.