Having been inspired by the Tool Librarians that helped him with the slew of projects that come with owning your first home, Jeremy wished to “give back to the community and be there to support others the way the folks at the tool library were there to support me”. Since then, Jeremy can be found on Wednesday nights volunteering as a Tool Librarian himself where he loves getting to know his “Wednesday night crew and the folks that come in for tools!”
During his life, Jeremy has done everything from being a touring musician to lift operator to restaurant manager to game developer and through these experiences he’s “gotten really good at helping others and connecting with people from various walks of life” – skills that he brings to the Tool Library each time he volunteers. In terms of tool project skills, Jeremy can “replace pipes, tackle yard work, and fix various broken things” but his “favorite homegrown projects are the skateboard obstacles” he made to use on his street and around Tacoma.
Through volunteering as a Tool Librarian, Jeremy has had many great experiences, but his favorite has to be when he was able to help a non-profit owner who came to borrow tools for a community garden event. Reflecting on the experience, he says “without the tool library, they would have had to spend a large amount of money on all the tools they needed. Instead, they were able to come chat with us, browse the library for what they needed, and walk out with enough tools for the job.”
In terms of the future, Jeremy is hoping the Tool Library “can start doing hands-on classes and workshops. We can learn a lot of things on YouTube but nothing beats learning with a group!”
