Coming Up: Free Geek Closed for Staff In-Service
Free Geek will be closed for Staff In-Service on four consecutive Tuesdays in spring 2012. Dates of closure include February 21st, February 28th, March 6th, and March 13th. We will be open as normal during the In-Service weeks on Wednesday through Saturday.
Help Free Geek and Win a Laptop!
Free Geek is carrying out a short survey (approximately ten minutes) looking at how people use their computers to help us better plan for the future. Everyone who includes contact details will be automatically entered in a drawing to win a free laptop from Free Geek (one entry per person). Fill out the survey online at survey.freegeek.org or pick up and submit a paper copy at the Free Geek front desk.
Free Geek’s Deep Systems Solution, In Graph Form
Local sustainability and education blog “itsallonething” applies System Dynamics Theory to Free Geek’s e-cycling efforts here.
One Volunteer’s MLK Service Weekend Experience
Eric Winger, local blogger and volunteer extraordinaire, participated in the 2012 MLK Weekend of Service, sponsored by Hands On Greater Portland and United Way, by disassembling printers with a volunteer group in Free Geek’s Recycling department. You can read about his experiences here.
Free Computers for K-12 Portland Students
Do you know a K-12 student who attends school in Portland and can use a free computer? Help us spread the word to parents, teachers and principals that Free Geek offers free computers to Portland K-12 students who complete 24 hours of volunteer service. Students can complete their volunteer service in any number of ways including in their communities, schools, churches or other community-oriented organizations.
Students should be able to provide supervisor contact information, so we can confirm the volunteer hours were completed successfully. Before getting a free computer, monitor, speakers, mouse and keyboard they must also attend a “Getting Started” class so they will know how to setup and use their computer when they bring it home with them that day.
For more information, or to input your request for a free computer, please visit our Plug Into Portland information page. If you know a teacher, principal or school director who might be interested in more information, please give them this flyer explaining the program.
Welcome To Our New Volunteer Representatives!
"I believe that voting is the first act of building a community as well as building a country. " - John Ensign
Free Geek has recently restructured our governance model, and we are pleased to announce the winners of our recent election for the board positions of Volunteer Representative! Read on to hear from our Board President, Laurel Hoyt.
Laptops Support Southeast Communities
Louisa from SE Uplift shows off a new laptop.
This year we granted a half dozen laptops to SE Uplift to be used by staff in order to support Southeast neighborhoods. The employees at SE Uplift are involved in a variety of organizations and participate on various boards and advisory committees. Laptops allow them to serve their community members in a more efficient and professional manner as much of their work takes place outside of their office headquarters. The mission of SE Uplift is to assist the citizens and neighborhood associations of Southeast Portland to create communities that are livable, socially diverse, safe and vital.
The Coolest Thing We Granted Our During The Week of 6/7
Free Geek Volunteer and Grant Shepherd Nate Lee chats with Ani Haines of KBOO
The donation of a double record cleaner presented a dilemma: it was too large to store for long and definitely too cool to recycle. We needed someone who needed a record cleaner and could pick it up fast. It was time for the Hardware Grants team to play matchmaker–we called Ani Haines at KBOO, and she was happy to pick it up that day and take it to its new home. Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match….!
Last Week’s Grant Recipients:
Portland Organic Productions Serenity Homes of Oregon
Paranormal & Occult Research Team
Our United Villages/The Rebuilding Center
Salem/Keizer Coalition for Equality
Rebuilding Dreams, Washington County Adult Drug Court Alumni Association
Synod of Livingstonia, Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP)
Boy Scouts of America Troop 542
The Coolest Thing We Granted Out During The Week Of 5/12
Check out this picture of the awesome light array we granted to the NE Portland Rotary Club!
The NE Portland Rotary Club is holding a fundraiser with Scream At the Beach in the form of a haunted house. Stay tuned for more details closer to the event in October. The Rotary Club will also be using Free Geek computers, printers, and speakers to do some of the behind-the-scenes work in making the haunted house as creepy as possible.
Last Week’s Grant Recipients:
Oregonians for Renewable Energy Policy
Adorned in Grace
North Portland Bible College
St. Johns Main Street Coalition
Oregonians for Renewable Energy Policy
The Inn Home for Boys
Roosevelt High School
Richmond Oxford House
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Village Child Care
Outside In
Metropolitan Learning Center
Oregon Crystal Meth Anonymous
Neighborhood House
Westside Community Focus
Stop Child Trafficking Now
Common Ground Wellness Center and Last Week’s Grants
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“Free Geek has enabled us to develop our technological capacity enormously! We’ve used grant boxes to set up our new, web-based POS and appointment system, as well as providing workstations for our staff and practitioners to use. They’ve also provided responsible and affordable e-cycling of our old equipment. Free Geek helped us grow our business while keeping costs down AND reducing waste. We are delighted to have them as a local Portland resource.” -Joel Brock, Common Ground Wellness Center
Last Week’s Grant Recipients: |
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| Portland Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) | |||||||
| Woodlawn Elementary School | |||||||
| Fraternal Order of Eagles, Hermiston Aerie# 2909 | |||||||
| Rebuilding Dreams, Washington County Adult Drug Court Alumni Association | |||||||
| Art Waves | |||||||
| Maranatha Church Missions Dept | |||||||
| Portland Homeless Family Solutions | |||||||
| Common Ground Wellness Center | |||||||