Here’s how a simple idea – borrowing, instead of buying – has turned this outer East Portland volunteer organization into a growing community hub, in the Hazelwood neighborhood …
Under and among canopies outside the tool storage area, visitors linger over snacks, while volunteers explain how to check out whatever’s needed – from hand tools, to power gear – during the East Portland Tool Library’s 3rd anniversary celebration.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
On a pleasant Saturday – June 27th – neighbors filtered into the parking lot of Cherry Park United Methodist Church for the East Portland Tool Library’s anniversary, tool drive, and electronics recycling event. From 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., visitors toured the Library’s storage buildings, signed up as new members, dropped off e-waste, and donated tools they no longer needed – all while lingering over pizza, cookies and ice cream.
Some guests simply came by to look around, surprised by the sheer variety of equipment available to be borrowed. Others quietly cleaned out their garages by handing over extra tools, now destined for new projects in other people’s homes and yards.
“A wonderful service to the community”
Board member Nancy Arntson greeted visitors outside the Tool Library’s entrance, framed by racks and shelves filled with equipment. She introduced herself as both a Board Member and a member of the host congregation, Cherry Park United Methodist Church – whose members, she said, are “happy to host this wonderful service to the community.”
Board Member Nancy Arntson chats with a volunteer at the celebration.
Arntson explained that the Tool Library functions much like a conventional book library — only offering for borrowing various drills and saws instead of hardcovers and paperbacks.
“Basically, you can borrow tools a week at a time,” Arntson told East Portland News. Prospective members register, show proof of residency within the service area, and are invited to make a small donation – “or, maybe not” she added – underscoring the low-barrier access for neighbors who simply need a tool to get a job done .
Rather than buying specialized equipment and figuring out how to store it, members can check out what they need, use it, and then bring it back. “You can borrow it for a week, or come back and renew it and keep it for another week,” Arntson explained. “It’s a great service to the community.”
At the checkout computer, Board Member and volunteer Carla Chen keeps track of which tools are headed out into the neighborhood for a week.
Growing membership, and a culture of volunteers
As the Tool Library marked its anniversary, Arntson reflected on how far the project had come.
“We’re celebrating our third anniversary of being open,” she remarked, noting that membership had climbed past 421 as of that morning, with more people signing up during the day itself.
Those hundreds of participants, she pointed out, form more than just a borrowing base. Many start out as occasional users, but return to volunteer – and some go on to serve on the six‑person Board – part of the “good community that has grown out of it.”
Visitors find tools, lots of tools, as they step into the East Portland Tool Library’s lending space.
The shelves hold everything from hand tools to corded power tools, with a deliberate decision to avoid gasoline-powered equipment for liability reasons. A few battery-operated tools are in the mix, but the emphasis remains on durable, easy-to-maintain gear that can reliably cycle through dozens of members’ projects.
From tool drive to electronics recycling
While the core mission remains lending tools, the anniversary celebration extended the library’s reach with a tool drive and electronics recycling, giving neighbors a one-stop destination to both clear clutter and support the program.
Some attendees brought in tools in good working order that they no longer needed. Those items – once tucked away in garages or basements – now will be available to any member who checks them out for home repairs, gardening, or small home improvement projects.
Helping stack electronics into collection bins, volunteer board member Philip Deckker pitches in on the “recycling” side of the anniversary day.
To broaden the day’s impact, organizers also teamed up with an electronics recycling partner. Arntson acknowledged that another volunteer handled the connection with Green Century Recycling, but emphasized that the library wanted “to provide an extra service to the community”, and partnering on e-waste collection was one way to do it.
Throughout the middle of the day, volunteers led quick tours and answered questions, as visitors considered which long-deferred projects a borrowed tool might finally make possible for them.
Dressed like a traditional ice cream vendor, Board Member Al Hagg serves as the volunteer “ice cream man,” a hobby he brings to bike rides and community events like this one.
A neighborhood resource built to be shared
By early afternoon, the church parking lot felt like a temporary town square – part tool warehouse, part neighborhood mixer. The anniversary underscored a simple idea: Sharing tools can build community as surely as it fixes fences – offering East Portland households a practical alternative to having to own everything outright.
To learn more about the East Portland Tool Library, located at 1736 SE 106th Avenue, 97216 – including their hours, service area, and membership requirements – see their official website: CLICK HERE.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
