(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (bright music) - We're doing something that I believe is beyond its time.

It is critically important.

Anyone can relate to feeling left out.

Anyone can relate to feeling like they do not belong somewhere.

And when you actually put time and resources into building belonging, your community is going to change.

(water whooshing) (soft bright music) - The only landfill that you control is your garbage can.

It's good for the environmental reasons.

It's also good for community building.

- You'll get the feel of the foot pedals.

- [Paul] Good morning.

- Say good morning.

- Good morning.

- Just the love of people.

Some of these people don't get no meal unless it's me.

- Man, good to see you, man.

- You know that.

(bright music) - Every child that steps off that bus enjoys themself, knows their worth, and knows the worth of arts.

(bright music) (bright music continues) (gentle music) - I'm Jennifer Brady, co-founder of the Peoria Area Repair Cafe, where we like to fix it, don't pitch it.

So Repair Cafe concepts started in Europe maybe 15 years ago to encourage people to, if something breaks, fix it instead of buying a new one.

You ready?

- Yeah.

- A repair cafe is a place that community members come together to fix things and keep them out of landfills.

Some people call it a fix it fair.

There are many different names for it, depending on what city or organization.

Two years ago, I saw a news segment that another city had one, and I saw it on the national news and I said, "Why can't Peoria have one of those?

That sounds great.

I'm all about keeping things out of the landfill."

I did what any person does, and I looked up for a book, and I found a book at the library and I checked out the book.

Then the book was basically how to start a repair cafe.

So I started a Facebook page and one meeting and then the idea died for a while because I was too busy.

- So I got the idea to, at our neighborhood garage sale, just setting up a table, a sign to say, "Repair cafe."

I know how to sew and fix lamps, but I have a shortwave radio that the volume doesn't work.

Some people showed up to fix my shortwave radio.

Then a neighbor walked by while I was sitting there for the garage sale and said, "Oh, I've seen something about this on Facebook."

And it turns out that was Nikki's Facebook page that she created and then we just kind of started joining forces.

- You can expect small engine repair, jewelry repair.

We've got some sewing and mending.

We've got blade sharpening.

You fill out the RSVP form online.

That lets us know what repair you need done and so that we can potentially have parts or tools ready for that.

And then you'll come the night of, you'll come in the front doors and we'll have signs everywhere to guide you and people to greet you.

Come to the check-in table and then you'll be guided to your repair station.

- You got it.

Want a couple more stitches.

And if you're scared of that, do it by hand.

- [Nikki] We don't just repair it for you while you stand there and look at us.

- That's okay.

You'll get the feel of the foot pedals.

- We teach you how.

So we explain all the steps that are going on in the process.

If you can help safely, then we let you put the part in.

We let you put the glue on.

I mean, so you are learning a skill.

- Well, we're passing on some skills that were passed on to me.

- I heard about it on Facebook.

The event was shared and caught my eye.

So gathered up some things at home to bring on over.

- Some of my mentors over the years have always charged me with, "I taught it to you, teach it to someone else," and ran into the repair cafe here last year and this is something I can do.

- Even for the people fixing things, we didn't any of us know each other at all.

But this concept has brought us together with that common feeling of like, it's just fun.

- It brings us together in a way.

We get to learn from each other.

Have conversations.

- Because the younger generation isn't learning it in school.

- There's also this intergenerational aspect where, you know, the older people who grew up learning how to fix things are teaching the younger generation, who grew up not knowing how to fix things.

- And that's the easy way to do it.

- It brings people together with a common interest that would not meet each other otherwise.

- When Jeff here asked me if I wanted to learn how to sharpen my knives, I was like, "Sure, that'd be great," 'cause you know, any of that knowledge that you can take on yourself and hopefully this is something that I can handle in the future.

- It's kind of what our world needs right now for many different reasons.

- Well, I don't know about you, but I can't afford to buy any new stuff.

And if I can buy a, you know, a nice kitchen knife at a flea market for a dollar and clean it up and sharpen it up and save myself 50, hey, why not?

- Well, sustainability's always been a personal interest of mine.

And honestly, I feel like should be it for everyone.

I want to take care of the things that I've owned.

- The only landfill that you control is your garbage can.

And the landfill in Peoria is full.

And so the more we can keep out of the landfill, the better it is for that whole process of our taxes.

- [Jennifer] It kind of reduces our footprint on the planet.

It saves us money.

We don't have to spend money to buy the thing that broke and replace it.

- Yay.

- The website is peoriarepaircafe.org.

- We can always use more volunteers.

If you don't know how to fix something, please still come and be an apprentice.

You can learn how to fix from the experts and that is building our volunteer base.

- It's good for the environmental reasons, it's also good for community building.

- It brings us together.

- We get to learn from each other, have conversation.

- We're learning and getting better every time we do this.

- [David] A bus pulls up, kids come streaming out, and they're ready to perform.

They're ready to showcase what they've done all year.

(instruments tuning) (indistinct chatter) - Eyes up.

- They're excited, oftentimes looking up, and, "Wow, I've never been here.

This is downtown."

You've got the smell of the food truck vendors, lunchtime's there, kids excitedly setting up, parents coming and sitting down.

When I say a celebration, it's a celebration, and that's what it should be.

(bright orchestral music) So Spring Celebration is the Gerald M Brookhart Arts and Education Spring Celebration.

As we enter our 41st year, this is a celebration of visual, performing, band, orchestra, you name it.

A celebration of arts and education across the seven counties, central Illinois area.

(audience applauds) We are excited to showcase in a non-competitive environment what art educators, students, and really the school community has done in this past year.

- We come down and we play songs for free, for anybody who wants to come and listen.

And it's a good way for everybody to show off their talents and how they can perform.

- The event is the Gerald M. Brookhart Spring Celebration.

He was a regional superintendent of schools for many years and decided that he wanted to try this to see how the schools would respond to it and the kids would respond.

Well, obviously they responded.

We are 41 years now doing this.

(soft bright music) - As regional superintendent, my office was on the fourth floor of the courthouse, and I could look out every day in the beautiful area down there.

I thought, "Man, we can use that as a great, great platform to display community education."

I said, "You know, we have these little kids and we wondered if we could come down and have them display some of their artwork."

We could put that artwork all around the plaza.

We wanna promote within the community the good things kids are doing that nobody ever hears about.

Because in Illinois, 25% of the people have kids in school.

So they see the things hung up on the refrigerator all the time, but the other 75%, really little or nothing in terms of school and what's going on in the program.

So we said, "Well, this will be a great opportunity to show some of the good things these kids are doing.

So let's do it."

- It's a really, really nice opportunity for everybody to be able to show off what they can do and what they have been able to do.

(upbeat band music) (audience cheers) - I didn't intend it to be an ongoing thing, but you could see that it had value and so why not?

- Thank you so much for coming.

My name is Dave Poehls with the Regional Office of Education and we are so happy to host the 41st year of the Gerald M. Brookhart Arts and Education Spring Celebration.

We really want the community as a whole to join us, to celebrate their students and perhaps even students they don't know too.

Follow us on Facebook at the Gerald M. Brookhart Arts and Education Celebration.

- The celebration is a day that we hope the kids always remember this.

If your kids are happy, it's a happy community.

And they love what they do when they come down here.

They feel uplifted because it's about that, because they are our citizens that are coming up.

- It really warms my heart to see that because my own kids came down and they were part of it.

And I really enjoy the grandmas and grandpas that come down.

Rather than just have an empty space, we had a vibrant space that reached out into the community, and the community in turn reached out to them.

- But they will always remember, "I came downtown, I did that."

I cannot tell you how many people each day say to me, "I remember doing this when I was here at school."

So I just want them to leave with a wonderful feeling.

I want them to know their worth and to know they can do something, maybe that's out of their normal box of stuff that they do.

- It gives everybody an opportunity to show what they can do and provide music to the world and make everyone happy when they're here around it.

- You know, art, I think, is the best medicine and hope for people.

Art and music.

It lifts up everybody's soul.

Who doesn't like to sit and listen to good music?

Every child that steps off that bus enjoys themself, knows their worth, and knows the worth of arts.

- And it doesn't take a whole lot of imagination.

Just look around your environment and say, "What can I utilize here to make it a better world," I suppose.

(upbeat drumming music) (audience cheers) - [Worker] That and broccoli.

My daughter's gonna running ragged, it's graduation tomorrow.

- Yeah, I got a friend, her grand baby is graduating Monday.

We're having Sloppy Joe's, cauliflower, and a banana, and broccoli.

- This is our kitchen.

It's kind of quiet in here now.

But starting around five o'clock in the morning, we're pretty hopping in here.

- Neighborhood House has a 130 year history of serving the Peoria community.

On a daily basis, we're delivering about 900 meals throughout Peoria and Tazewell County to home-bound seniors who are unable to shop and/or cook for themselves.

- See y'all later.

I'm gonna take 'em for a nice trip.

- [Julie] The people who are drivers are really mission driven.

They're doing it because they love what they do.

- Load that in.

There we go.

Okay.

Well some of the people I see, most of 'em are seniors and a lot of 'em are lonely, you know?

I don't want to see people suffer.

Some of these people don't get no meal unless it's me.

- But more than just a hot meal, it's that chance for a daily connection.

- Get out and make that meal because I got two for this meal and one for the single.

Banana, roll, and they are ready.

- [Julie] Many of the seniors live alone and they don't see anyone other than their Meals on Wheels driver.

- Good morning!

- Oh, good morning!

- They're really looking forward to having that interaction, even if it is just for a brief couple of minutes.

Social isolation and loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

- He's very nice and I appreciate everything that he's doing.

I appreciate bringing the meals and I enjoy it and I thank him so much.

I appreciate everything that they doing and thank you all.

- And I'll see you on Monday.

- Okay then.

I'll see ya.

(Paul laughs) - Uh huh.

And that's that.

- The work that we do is so important, not just from the nutrition standpoint, but from the mental health standpoint as well.

- Sometime they don't want us to leave, but I'm only there for a certain amount of time, 'cause I have so many deliveries to do.

(Paul knocking) Mr.

Raymond, good morning.

I'm almost like a therapist.

I'm going to visit these people but I'm making sure at the same time, they okay.

(Paul and Mr.

Raymond laugh) All right, you have a good weekend.

Thank you.

I always speak to 'em and make sure they okay before I drop anything off to 'em.

When I start calling them by their name, see, I learn their name, and they like that.

"You called me by my name."

I said, "Yeah, I know you."

He said, "All these people you deliver to, and you call me."

I said, "Yeah, because I know my people," 'cause I want to treat them, you know, the way I want to be treated.

The people, like I said, they appreciate us coming.

(Paul knocking) And it's good to see the smile when you go up to the door.

- Well, thank God for Neighborhood House.

Really, seriously.

'Cause this has been a big help for me.

- Well, if I wasn't getting this every day, I would have to do a little bit of scrounging, you know, see where I can scrounge.

- Yeah.

Yep.

And I check up on you too, right?

- All the time.

(laughs) - All the time.

All right.

You have a good weekend.

- All right.

- People are not eating and things are so high, you know, especially for these seniors.

They scared they might get in trouble or if they say something or you know, you're not gonna get a response.

(Paul knocking) - If there are any seniors or even family members who recognize they have an older parent that is maybe home-bound, this is not an income based program.

It is based on ability.

And so regardless of your socioeconomic status, you could qualify through Older Americans Act Funding and I encourage you to call us here at Neighborhood House and we can get you started on that process.

(car horn beeps) - This guy I'll usually honk at.

(car horn beeps) Come on out here.

Good to see you, brother.

- Hey, good to see you.

The prices got too high, so, you know, this is a great help.

We haven't given up on one another and about loving our community and loving one another.

- [Paul] Good morning!

- Say good morning.

- Good morning.

- It helps a lot.

It does.

There's times when my mom isn't able to get up and want to actually cook, so that way she has the meals coming.

It takes a village, literally, to help a community and they have been that village.

(Paul knocking) - Hi.

- Hi.

- I'm a home care provider for Evelyn Coach.

She's 99 years old and Meals on Wheels is a great help for us.

He's faithful, nice.

We really look forward to seeing him when he comes.

It's very important because a lot of families can't afford food the way the prices are right now.

They can't afford a lot of things.

So this is a big help.

(car horn beeps) - You see so many people like struggling in the world and it's so easy to be cold hearted and to be indifferent and mean towards people and they .

.

.

Go above and beyond for them.

It's nice, it's refreshing to see in this time.

- But really, the community is so key to helping us be able to continue to do what we do.

They can donate by going to our website, NHpeoria.org and there's a place where they can make donations and they can specify if they want that funding to go to Meals on Wheels or to one of our other programs.

- Thank you guys for all you do for Evelyn, and thanks for this big help right here.

- Good to see you, man.

- You know that.

There's good people out in the world, really good people, and I'm just giving back to 'em.

This is my fourth year, going on five.

And if I can go 10 more, I'll do 10 more.

(laughs) (soft music) - Our tagline is called Celebrating Abilities because that's what we focus on.

We don't focus on people's disability.

So many times that's the focus, what they can't do.

So we celebrate their abilities and what they can do.

- Fill your back.

Make sure it's facing you.

- Working here is like no other job I have ever had or can ever imagine having.

It is unique because it's challenging in the way any business is challenging, but we're also doing something that I believe is beyond its time.

It is critically important.

Anyone can relate to feeling left out.

Anyone can relate to feeling like they do not belong somewhere.

And when you actually put time and resources into building belonging, your community is going to change.

My husband and I are the founders and and we are the parents of Jimmy who has significant disabilities They told us when he was a year old.

it really rocked our world and we were on a total different path.

As Jimmy started getting older, we started really realizing there's not a lot of jobs for him and for others that we're serving.

And a big concern was, what's gonna happen when our children turn 22 and they're done with school?

Where are they gonna go?

What are they gonna do?

Through a whole long story, we found out that Picket Fence was for sale, and we had known the owner.

We approached her and said, "We have this crazy idea of turning this business, buying this business, turning it into a nonprofit, and employing people with disabilities here."

Within about 20 minutes, Stephanie, who is the former owner, myself, and my husband were all in tears and she said, "If you can do it, I'm gonna support you."

- We are providing employment and training opportunities to adults with disabilities across every aspect of our operation.

We offer a variety of opportunities for someone to just work in general, work here, get exposure to various types of tasks and types of work environments.

- Everything that is purchased here by the community, by anybody, goes right back to helping the people that we serve and the people that we employ.

- So it's not just about, you know, making the money to do the programs, it's also about building a community from within.

And we want that to kind of branch out as much as possible.

The fact that our workforce and our customer base is representative of and is our own community is very special.

The one thing that we get to offer is the lens of everyone who comes through, everyone in this community, you belong here and you have potential, no matter who you are.

- I love seeing folks come in that maybe social skills was really tough, but now they're talking to everybody.

(laughs) And you just, you get to witness growth, and that's really cool.

We have two young men on our greenhouse team.

They needed job coaches when they started with us and now they have been promoted and no longer need a job coach.

They're part of the team and they're greenhouse specialists.

- It wasn't simple actually growing up being different and see people here trying to just be nice and it's okay to be absolutely different.

It's actually very nice just to be your own person.

Just feel free.

(indistinct chatter) - I'm certain that Picket Fence Foundation provides hope.

I am told on a regular basis that a job coach is providing hope to one of our juniors or the opportunity to come and see what might be possible for someone's loved one or for themselves.

I'm told all the time, and I'm refilled with hope.

- Knowing that this person started here with pretty great needs for employment and now is working on their own, that's huge.

Picket Fence Foundation, how can I help you?

The employees that we have, all of our employees are wonderful.

The ones with disabilities, I really feel like they understand that there's not a lot of opportunities for them and they take their jobs so seriously.

Phenomenal employees and so hardworking and they just wanna be valued and they wanna contribute to society.

It's all about the people that we serve and that, you know, just that it keeps going and it keeps inspiring people and maybe someone on the other side of the country will hear what we're doing and be like, "I can do that."

So that's our dream is just that they'll be here a long time serving our community.

You wanna do right by the people that we serve because they can't, they can't sit here, many of them and be like, you know, "Why you should support me."

And we that are able to do that, have to do that, we have to do it.

You have to speak up for those that can't.

- I just wanna say thank you for the people who actually gave me this job.

I am blessed.

I am, let's just say I'm very blessed about this job.

- That's it, it's really cool.

Yeah, yeah.

Picket Fence Foundation is extremely important and it's very dear to my heart.

- [Announcer] Thank you for joining us on this journey.

If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to explore even more local content.

You can connect with us on our social media channels, visit our website, or download the free app.

We can't wait to see you next time on "You Gotta See This."

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (bright music)