Help Save The Mending Shed

We have had an overwhelming response to our closing, and we have heard you. However, we need your help to stay open!

We are sad to say, after nearly 52 years The Mending Shed is facing closing our doors. Throughout our 50+ years, we have managed to change with the times and continue to make our little store relevant, and profitable. But times have changed yet again, and the world is changing which means it is time for us to take a hard look at The Mending Shed and decide if we can continue moving forward and if so, what that would look like.

As we started 2023, we have a lot of debt, the pandemic was hard on us, but this is something we have fought for years. At this point, we don't know whether we should close, or try to change the business into something that we love and can still serve our area. It is unlikely that a small little shop like ours can continue to serve this community unless something changes.

Things simply aren't repairable like they use to be, people don't shop locally as much as they use to, or fix things like they use to. But we remain optimistic that there is a new chapter that is brighter than we can imagine. Where we can continue to serve Utah county, whether it be helping you test and diagnose your repairs, bringing you repair videos and how-to's, testing your pressure canners, highlighting local artisan goods, and so so much more. And so, as we try to see a path forward, we see that there is no path forward without you.

So if we have ever helped you fix something, test something, diagnose your products, sold you your favorite kitchen gadget, made you laugh or taught you something you didn't know, we ask for your help now. We hope to raise enough money not to just get out of debt, but to be able to move forward. One thing is for sure, Nothing - not one thing - that we've accomplished over the decades could have happened without you.

Areas of critical need:

Need one: Pay off Debt.

Let's be honest, the last few years have been hard. On everyone, I think, but definitely for our little shop. Over the last few years we have accumulated substantial debt, partially related to the pandemic, but also trying to keep the business open until we hit our 50-year mark. We try to continue to stock the items that our customers need us to have, and staff knowledgeable repair techs, that can repair your equipment quickly and make your items operate like new. Being a small local business that is family operated made it so that there were very few pandemic-related loans available to us, we applied for the programs available, but the loan money wasn't enough. After last year's slow season, and the economy being what it has been people aren't spending money locally like they use to. It has been very rough, and to move forward we have to pay off the debt that is weighing us down. $500,000 represents the debt we owe, we could pay it off by selling our building, but doing so would indefinitely shut down any hope of keeping The Mending Shed open in any capacity.

Need two: Infrastructure Tune-Ups

To continue moving forward, our building would need updates and a remodel. From electrical to a new roof, cosmetic upgrades, and a new AC/Heater for the building (this would be huge). Parking lot resurfacing, everyone knows our parking lot is trashed, and needs major work. There is a whole lot that needs fixing - we're dealing with a hefty amount of deferred maintenance. It always seems we fix everyone else's things, and never seem to get around to our building's needs.

Our Goal:

We've set a GoFundMe goal of $500,000. This number would allow us to pay off all of our debt, and remodel and update the building as needed. As well as allow us at least a short-term survival. We hope to do much more than survive, we hope to be able to transform The Mending Shed into something that will continue to serve our community and allow us time to figure out what the next step is, and what our community needs from us as a business moving forward into the future. We know that the business cannot continue to move forward in its current capacity, but hope that we can transition to a more profitable business model

Finally, before we sign off, we want to say thank you. No matter what happens, thank you for showing up all of these years, believing in us, and supporting our family, and our dreams. Thank you for being the community that cares about our small little shop. Thank you for being friends that feel like family. We can't express how much you mean to us.

We love you all, and we love that your support our little repair shop, and that we have come to mean so much to everyone in the community. It's an honor and a privilege, and we want to continue doing this, for as long as we possibly can.

We hope you'll share our fundraiser with the community, and if you prefer to make a contribution by check to our fundraising efforts, you can do so to The Mending Shed, and send it to us at 1735 S State Street, Orem, Utah 84097.

With love and thanks,

The Mending Shed Family

Hollie & Colleen