Carla Bruni & Ally Brisbin

Tinkering and fixing “stuff” used to be a male only basement bastion. Then came the disposable era when nothing needed fixing since we tossed “stuff” and bought new. Amid a new spirit of sustainability, it took two dynamic Edgewater women to revive the practice of fixing up instead of throwing things out.

Five years ago, Carla Bruni and Ally Brisbin teamed up to form Community Glue Workshop, an all-volunteer program to help their neighbors get things fixed – from picture frames to toasters. Carla, an historic preservationist, and Ally, an entrepreneur active in local economic development, pulled together a talented crew of volunteers that one Sunday each month meets the challenge of broken china to torn doll clothes. It has become an increasingly popular social gathering, and a tribute to Edgewater’s volunteer spirit and commitment to sustainability.

Ally Brisbin

“We literally couldn’t do this without our loyal volunteers.
Community Glue Workshop is a play on words, and community
has always been a key element of our project’s success.”

Carla Bruni

“I’ve been part of the Edgewater community for 17 years.
I came for the diversity and stayed for the ingenuity.
There’s no place I’d rather give my time, energy and heart.”

Click here for a short video.