programs
tool lending, Federal way
Auburn (coming soon)
The South King Tool Library (SKTL) is a grassroots nonprofit organization serving South King County and North Pierce County, Washington. We lend out tools for patrons to maintain their homes and community. Our approach reduces waste from unnecessary consumption and removes access barriers to expensive tools, and empowers folks to make necessary or desired changes in their spaces. Our robust relationships with government, local businesses and our community allows us to implement a diverse funding strategy that facilitates equitable access to our resources. We are able to offer free membership through our grants and our sponsorship funding. We also suggest our participants donate the value they find in our resources. We use funds to staff and maintain our tool inventory, as well as offer programs that focus on educating participants on conscious consumerism, waste reduction, the formation of sustainable habits, and provide solutions to the needs of the communities we serve.
Repair Cafes
A team of “fixers” from the community provide quarterly repair services for small household items at no charge. These items often include lamps, vacuum cleaners, kitchen appliances, furniture, children’s toys, clothing and heirlooms which might otherwise be discarded. More than 85 people had 102 items repaired in 2021.
Workshops & Classes
SKTL hosted 18 free classes and workshops on topics such as home repair, gardening, food preservation, and green cleaning. In 2021, 668 attendees classes, then picked up free giveaways and/or checked out tools for their projects.
swaps
Swap Events SKTL held two clothing swaps and one (first ever) game swap which attracted 235 people. Most of the donated items went to new homes and the remainder were donated to local second hand stores.
toolip
The TooLIP or Tool Library Incubator Program is our implementable strategy for facilitation of the success of tool libraries that are starting out, or looking to expand. We will streamline the process as we synthesize resources, customize to scale for different organizations, and serve a community's needs directly. Read more...