What brought you to the Tool Library?
I discovered the tool library when my husband decided to remodel our bathroom and kept buying new tools for it. Each job had a very specific tool and seriously, how many times will someone use their giant tile saw?

What's something you’ve learned working at the Tool Library?
I have learned that there are people at the tool library who support waste reduction and sharing resources within our community and I value being a part of a community that I can contribute to and support those around me.

What kind of experience do you have using tools?
I have been using tools that help maintain old boats, things from paint and varnish on wood ships to needle guns on steel ships, but the best ships are friendships and the tool library is a great place to be a part of!

How can the Tool Library continue to grow?
The tool library can keep growing thanks to our amazing volunteers. The more volunteers we have, the more we can do!

How can the community best help the Tool Library?
Use the library and tell your friends about us! Get involved at events, volunteer in our garden or in the tool library, help us apply for grants, and more!

What kind of experience do you have using tools?
I have very little experience using tools. In middle school, I took a semester of shop class and a semester of FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences - cooking, sewing, etc.). I made a jewelry box, a toy car, a cutting board, a pillow, and a pair of pajama shorts. Currently, I have a sewing machine and a large array of hand tools and crafting tools at home. I'm fairly knowledgeable about different types of craft projects (sewing, miniatures, painting, musical instruments, etc.) and I now consider myself moderately handy (I could help someone with a larger project, but I probably won't know the names of the tools we use).

What is your favorite food?
I always think of a favorite food as something I could eat every day. For me, that's stir-fry.

What brought you to the Tool Library?
I wanted to get active in the community after moving to a new city in 2016. I stayed because I started to think about the potential the tool library could bring and I have been working to grow it ever since.

How can the community best help the Tool Library?
Share! We love when folks share their successes, and we aim to learn from all the challenges. But we also hope folks share in any way possible. Share the events and interesting things they learn with their community, share their time as volunteers or learning more, share their tools and financial support so we can keep doing good things.

What is your favorite food?
I love trying new things like fruits and veggies, or dishes from other cultures. But seafood is my all time favorite since I always live close to the water.

What is your favorite thing to do?
I love digging in the dirt and playing in the water, listening and discovering new music, or doing anything with my kids.

How long have you lived in Washington State?
My family and I moved to Washington in 2006 after living in California for most of my childhood.

What kind of experience do you have using tools?
Most of my experience with tools comes from working at the tool library! Since joining a few years ago, I've gotten to use tools I wouldn't have known the name of previously. It's been a fun learning experience.

What is your favorite thing to do?
In my spare time, I play cozy video games and take way too many naps with my senior dogs. It's my favorite way to spend the weekend.

What brought you to the tool library?
At the tool library we're sharing resources with our neighbors, keeping tools out of the landfill and saving people from buying tools they don't need. I love our clothing swaps and I'm also very proud of the history of fixing things SKTL has.

What's something you have learned working at the tool library?
Tool Library staff taught me how to do maintenance on chainsaws. I love getting them all cleaned up and ready for the next patron.

What is your favorite food?
I love food too much to just pick one favorite. My favorite comfort food is Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen from Kizuki in the Southcenter mall. My favorite fast food is pepperoni pizza, hopefully homemade by my partner, in which case it's no longer fast food. I would always rather eat brownies over birthday cake. One of my favorite snacks at home is blue cheese on a cracker with honey on top. Don't knock it until you try it. My favorite chicken dish is when my partner makes a whole roasted chicken. It's so good we rarely make it to the table, we just hover over it.

Boom.

What brought you to the Tool Library?
Amanda, I had met her at a previous job and liked her vibe so when she casually mentioned she needed more people working here I asked for her info and the rest is history.

What kind of experience do you have using tools?
The bare minimum to be honest, I have put together Ikea items and other random furniture. But i havent built anything cool ive taken things apart and sanded items but nothing super cool

What is your favorite food?
Any and all kinds of pasta unless it has mushrooms cause those are gross and shouldn’t be in anything

What is your favorite thing to do?
I enjoy going on hikes in the rain and finding cool rocks and stones. I also enjoy baking and cooking for other people.

City of Residence: Renton
Time lived in the SKTL service region: 11 years
Contact: jennifer@southkingtools.org

What brought you to the Tool Library?
I learned about SKTL from Amanda, and the idea immediately made sense to me. After living abroad in places like Turkey and Guinea where there is a greater emphasis on sharing resources in community and not letting anything go to waste, I was happy to find my way to a community of makers and doers locally who share the same values.

What kind of experience do you have using tools?
The first tool I ever purchased on my own was a hammer that I bought in Guinea, and it was amazing! I could finally put up hooks in my little home and get some things up off the ground.

What is your favorite food?
My favorite food is ice cream. All kinds, from Dreyer's Chocolate to Ben & Jerry's Phish Food to anything with honey in it.

What brought you to the Tool Library?
I thought a tool library was a great idea, and I was particularly excited about the repair cafés. I wanted to volunteer to fix things and learn more about fixing things.

What's one thing you value in your community?
I like people finding ways to help each other. For example, using Buy-Nothing groups to gift things they don't need and reduce waste.

How can the community best help the Tool Library?
Use it, and tell other people about it! And if it helps you, consider giving a little back in donations or volunteer time.

What kind of experience do you have using tools?
I've been taking things apart since I was a child. I learned to use a soldering iron before I was a teenager.

What is your favorite food?
My favorite food is leftovers. Quick and easy, not much clean-up, and if I liked it yesterday I'll probably still like it today.

What's one thing you value in your community?
I value its diversity. Growing up in Chicago it was diverse and you experienced many cultures and I see that in Federal Way.

What's something you’ve learned working at the Tool Library?
There is a lot I learned working with the tool library specific to tools projects and solutions, but the one thing I have to call out is that I learned how vast the challenges a community can face that may not be a challenge for me. It's humbling.

How can the Tool Library continue to grow?
I believe it can continue to grow by shifting as the community needs to shift and offering new programs that align with challenges the community is facing at that time.

What kind of experience do you have using tools?
Mostly self trained while repairing things around the house, more or less DIY type tools fixing electrical, patching walls, minor plumbing, simple carpentry.

What brought you to the Tool Library?
I was looking to be useful in my community. I had a bunch of extra time, and wanted a better way to spend it. So I became a volunteer here after walking through the desert for 40 years.

What's something you’ve learned working at the Tool Library?
In the entire concept itself, I thought it was a library for hardware books and how-to manuals. I never knew what it was until I began volunteering here. I’ve since fallen in love with everything about it, especially now that I get paid.

What is your favorite food?
Pizza, Gumbo, Jambalaya, Ribs with homemade mac and cheese, Soul food, Mexican Food, Chinese food, Japanese food, Indian Food and Italian food and…….

What is your favorite thing to do?
Laying on a sunny beach, relaxin’ my mind, lettin’ my conscious free.

We are currently seeking enthusiastic community leaders to join our board of directors!

Current open roles: Board Secretary

Candidates will be considered for Leadership, Community Engagement, Fundraising, Nonprofit and Lived Experience - but mostly passion!