CHARITY DELIVERS LAPTOPS
Charity hands out 700 refurbished laptops in Windsor, other cities
Rebuilt machines to help children
A trainload of refurbished laptops arrived in Windsor on Thursday, destined for children in low-income families and other people on the wrong side of the “digital divide.”
It was the work of Kingsville-based charity Corporations for Community Connections (CFCC), which has refurbished and donated 4,000 laptops since three Siemens employees started it in 2010. The laptops are donated by large corporations, which hold workshops to wipe and refurbish them.
“These are laptops at the end of their lives,” Philip Schaus, CFCC’S president and CEO, said after the laptops arrived at Windsor’s Via Rail station. “They’ve been wiped of data. With the help of the corporations that donate them to us, we invite them to engage their employees in a very fun workshop where in one day, seven hours, only 30 volunteers can refurbish as many 250 laptops.”
In total, between 600 and 700 laptops and SMART boards will be handed out over the next five days in Windsor, London, Peterborough, Oakville, Kingston, Montreal and Quebec City. Via Rail delivers them to each city.
The workshop to refurbish the laptops given out Thursday was conducted in Oakville. There will be another workshop Saturday in Montreal and one in Peterborough on March 27. Schaus said he’s hoping some workshops can be done in the Windsor area in the near future, if there are local corporate sponsors willing to participate.
After the laptops are refurbished, CFCC finds other charities to send the computers where they ’re needed most. Schaus said the donations help victims of the “digital divide” who are shut out of services and opportunities because they don’t have access to laptops or the Internet.
“We find organizations like United Way, like Salvation Army, to distribute them in the community,” said Schaus. “We’re technical people. We’re focused on supply. We leave it to others to decide where they’re best going to serve the community.”
Liam Giles, director of programs for United Way Windsor-essex County, said the donations are “essential to ensuring that kids stay on track academically.”
“We know that access to technology is a major barrier for children living in low income,” said Giles. “Many children growing up in low income do not have access to a computer or high speed Internet at home. They often fall behind on school assignments and some even avoid going to school at all, knowing they haven’t completed their homework. They worry about not keeping up and therefore they feel hopeless and fall further and further behind.”
Schaus said the program also helps reduce e-waste.
“E-waste is the fastest growing stream of waste going into landfills worldwide,” he said. “It’s growing because of the demands of technology.
“Upgrading phones, upgrading laptops is actually accelerating. Worldwide, there is 50 million tonnes of e-waste going into landfills every year. To picture what that looks like, imagine 700 laptops coming down from the sky around you every second.”