Record Speed Recycling

April 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment

This past weekend, we had another great Volunteer Saturday at ITT Tech’s Tarentum campus.  Clocking in at record speeds, we ran diagnostic triage and Edubuntu imaging on a total of 98 computers from 8AM – 4PM.

We owe a special thanks to Kim Coles of the County of Westmoreland Mac Users Group (COWMUG) for coming in extra early to run the welcome table. Also, a big thanks to Debbie and Mark Neuherz for transporting all of the computers to a new storage cage site in Pittsburgh Mills.

You can sign up for future volunteer work days with Computer Reach through our Pittsburgh Cares page. We are a new Non-Profit Priority Partner with Pittsburgh Cares. We’re looking forward to reaching a broader audience to help us reach our goals.

Check out the video and say “Hello” to 22 hard-working volunteers that beat the clock on a beautiful Saturday donating their time and talents. Thank you all!

 

Filed Under: Computer Reach News, computers, donated computers, electronics, electronics recycling, ITT, pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Volunteering, PittsburghCares.org, refurbished computers, volunteering, volunteers Tagged With: , , , ,

Volunteer Work Day at ITT Tech Tarentum

February 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 

On Saturday February 23rd, we had our first volunteer work day at ITT Tech in Tarentum, PA. You may have seen our earlier post asking readers to sign up to volunteer with us in this new space the last Saturday of each month. You can still sign up here!

We started in our new space with a very productive day. We unloaded 81 Apple computer boxes from our U-Haul truck at Construction Junction and then loaded 116 Linux computer boxes for for transport back to ITT refurbishing and imaging production work.

  • We had 26 volunteers attend.
  • They logged 146 man-hours in one day.
  • We ate 10 pizzas and drank well over 36 water bottles!

Many thanks to Director Joshua Joseph, Computer Science Director Bill Gano and Career Services Director Bart Blum for great logistical support today.

Check out the video below.

Filed Under: computers, donated computers, electronics, electronics recycling, ITT, Pittsburgh Volunteering, recycling, refurbished computers, volunteering, volunteers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Week 4 with Duquesne University Volunteers

February 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 

This past Friday, we had our fourth workday with volunteers from Duquesne University. You can read about weeks one, two and three in these posts.

On February 22nd, We had 2 faculty members and 7 students working at our warehouse. We went beyond de-manufacturing and showed the students our procedures for imaging Macs with Deploy Studio. Many thanks to the students for helping to load 50+ boxes for movement between our South Side and Point Breeze recycling locations.

Inspired to help? Sign up to volunteer with us on the last Saturday of each month!

Filed Under: computers, Duquesne University, electronics, electronics recycling, pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Volunteering, refurbished computers, volunteering Tagged With: , , , ,

New Saturday Volunteer Time

February 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We’re very excited to announce a new year-round site for recycling on the last Saturday of every month. You can now join us at ITT Technical Institute in Tarentum (behind the Pittsburgh Mills Mall).

 

Several people have requested advanced notice of our Saturday recycling events so they can set their calendars and commit to a few hours on a weekend far in advance. Now, with this new location, you can do just that! Visit this poll to sign up for a date and time to volunteer that works for you, all the way up through December 2013! You may come back to edit these volunteering times as much as needed. Our leadership team is notified when any times are chosen or removed, so there is no need to email or call us.

Our first volunteer workday event at ITT will be this Saturday February 23  from 10am – 4pm. We will be sorting and fixing 200 computers !

WHERE: 100 Pittsburgh Mills Circle, Tarentum, PA 15084 (724) 274-1400

WHEN: Choose “When It Is Good” by click on the times to highlight them in bright green. Registering through the poll helps us prepare lunch and all day refreshments.
The ITT campus has free parking and is connected to the back of Pittsburgh Mills, a great mall with food and shopping and entertainment for all ages. If you need more information on volunteering with Computer Reach, contact Dave Sevick at 724-779-0099 or email sevick@computereach.com.

See you all soon!

Filed Under: Computer Reach News, donated computers, electronics, electronics recycling, ITT, pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Volunteering, recycling, refurbished computers, technology, volunteering, volunteers Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Help Put Computers in Students’ Hands

February 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Studetns at BJWLAs of this month, our Pittsburgh area volunteers have refurbished for re-use 4,051 Computers! This is an amazing number that we are so proud to share with you. But, we always want more! That’s why we can use your help to fund several local school projects.

When we place a computer in a school, each computer serves 5 students every day.

By re-using equipment, rather than buying new, each computer we recycle reduces our carbon footprint.

If you’re interested in helping with a donation, or helping by donating your time as a volunteer, call our Executive Director Dave Sevick for more details. You can also donate directly on our website.  YES, we are a 501c3 charity!

Thanks again for all the volunteering and funding support as we continue to grow.

About this photo:
This picture is a still from a video that shows our Computer Reach team delivering a total of 11 computers to a Family Resources site at BJWL in the Hill District of Pittsburgh on August 17, 2011. LaRay Moton is the Site coordinator and Jamayia Moore is the site supervisor. The kids were really great and excited to get the new technology. Volunteer Marty Swartz deserves credit for taking the time to help organize and deliver the computers to this site.

Filed Under: charity, community outreach, donated computers, electronics recycling, fundraising, literacy, pittsburgh, recycling, refurbished computers, volunteering Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Duquesne Students Return to Volunteer with CR!

February 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We had two more days of computer recycling with students from Duquesne University. It’s been great to have a different mix of students each week so more learn about the importance of eWaste recycling.

In the video from Week 2, meet five students, led by Lorraine Sauchin, who helped us with important demanufacturing steps.

Below is the video from Week 3 with the students.  It features our Computer Recycling leader Bob Donaldson and Duquesne teacher Lorraine Sauchin training seven new students how to properly recycle plastic, metal, logic boards, etc.  according to Pennsylvania and international standards.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the semester. We really appreciate this consistent help each week, thank you Duquesne University!

Filed Under: community outreach, Computer Reach News, electronics, electronics recycling, goodwill, Pittsburgh Volunteering, recycling, refurbished computers, volunteering, volunteers Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Read: How to Bridge the Digital Divide with Broken Computers

January 31, 2013 By Leave a Comment
An Exploration Station volunteer dismantles an old PC.

An Exploration Station volunteer dismantles an old PC.

We recently came across this article that highlights how we can bridge the digital divide, and get more people of every income level using computers in their homes and at work. It’s always astonishing how many perfectly usable computers and electronic devices are thrown away. The Exploration Station in Grover Beach, California refurbishes used computers for their Computers 4 Youth program just like we do here in Pittsburgh.

 

Apple sold 237 million iPods, iPads, Macs, and other devices from January to September of last year. In 2005, US households threw away 304 million electronic devices, including computers; two-thirds of those devices still worked. But computers aren’t nearly as ubiquitous as they seem—at least, not for everyone. Here’s where abundance butts heads with scarcity: 46% of the poorest households in America still don’t own a home computer.

Over the past 14 years, the Computers 4 Youth program has given out nearly 4,000 computers to kids and adults in need.  Here in Pittsburgh, our program just hit 4,015 computers refurbished for re-use! It seems like we have a lot in common with the California program – including a passionate team of volunteers to help with our efforts. Without them, many of these programs would not be possible.

Read the full article here and get engaged by commenting below or on our Facebook page.

Filed Under: charity, computers, electronics recycling, literacy, pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Volunteering, recycling, refurbished computers, volunteering, volunteers Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Welcome New Volunteers

January 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We are growing our most valuable resource… volunteers.

We are pleased to report that Duquesne University has signed up over 20 students to participate in our recycling efforts every Friday this semester at the Goodwill on the South Side of Pittsburgh.

Many thanks to Computer Science instructor Lorraine Sauchin for facilitating these efforts!

Lorraine pulled together our first group of tech students from Duquesne for this community service volunteering effort. Students will be focusing on the de-manufacturing of non-fixable computers that we have stacked in large piles. They will be adhering to the Goodwill of Southwestern PA standards of separating of glass, plastic, metal, logic boards, cables, and power supplies for responsible electronic material down-streaming of eWaste as per Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection laws. Follow this link for more information on the Covered Device Recycling Act.

Duquesne University is following the trend of entire classroom participation set by our reliable friends of ITT Technical Institute in Tarentum.

Thank you and a big welcome to Lorraine and her students.

Filed Under: electronics, electronics recycling, goodwill, pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Volunteering, recycling, refurbished computers, technology, volunteering, volunteers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Spirit of the Season

December 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Teacher Training in Ghana, October 2012

Teacher Training in Ghana, October 2012

Living and working in a philanthropic city like Pittsburgh has great advantages. Serving others in need of computers is a common goal of businesses, educational institutions and individuals all over our city. Especially at this time of year, we’re thankful for all the great projects we’ve been able to complete with the assistance of our many partners.

Another exciting milestone, our 300th active volunteer was recorded this week! We’ve also established new relationships with partners in a variety of fields. You can see many of their logos and links to their websites here.

Below is an amazingly long list of organizations inside and outside of Western PA that we have partnered with to get donated recycled computers, fix recycled computers, and deliver recycled computers into the hands of those in need. THANK YOU from all of us at Computer Reach! We’re so lucky to have the support of all these great partners.

Serving in Western PA we partner with:

Allegheny County Intermediate Units
Allegheny Township Senior Center
Brentwood Savings and Loan
Calvary Methodist Church
Canonical Ltd.
Carnegie Mellon University
Center for Hope in Ambridge
Central Highlands Community Methodist Church
Christ Church Methodist Bethel Park
Christian Lighthouse Foundation
Church of Our Savior Methodist Church
CNS Systems Monroeville
Consolidated Displays
Construction Junction
Council of Three Rivers American Indian Centers
County of Westmoreland Mac Users Group
CPUG Tarentum
Crestfield Camp in Slippery Rock
Crossroads Presbyterian Preschool
Dormont United Methodist Church
Dutilh Methodist Church
Easter Seals of Western PA
Elizabeth Early Childhood Learning Center
Elizabeth Forward Schools
Ellis School
Evolution E-Cycling
Fabled Table
Family Resources of PA
First Energy Corporation
Fox Chapel Schools
Goodwill of Southwestern PA
Google Pittsburgh
Hampton Schools
HeartPrints Center for Early Education
Hi-Tech Recycling
Homeless Childrens Education Fund
Hosanna Industries
Imani Christian Academy
ITT Technical Institute
Lincoln Community Center
Lost But Not Forgotten Ministries
MacOutfitters of Cranberry and Oxford Center
Mellon Bank
Monroeville Public Library
National Center for Non-Profit Excellence
North Allegheny Schools
North Hills Community Outreach in Millvale and North Hills
North Pittsburgh Mac Users Group
North Way Church
NPR – Essential Public Radio
Pittsburgh Computing Center
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Pittsburgh Project
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pleasant Valley Men’s Shelter
PNC Bank
Providence Heights Alpha School
Quaker Valley Schools
Saint Alphonsus Catholic School
Saint Barbara’s Catholic Church
Saint Paul’s Methodist Church
Seneca Valley Schools
Shiloh Church Tabitha Program
Simply Christian Online Schools
South Park Schools
St. Agnes Catholic Church
Sto-Rox Foster Early Childhood Learning Center
Sto-Rox Schools
The Pittsburgh Foundation
Three Rivers Endoscopy Center
Tribune Review
United Methodist Committee On Relief
University of Pittsburgh
Urban League of Pittsburgh
Waren Methodist Church
Western PA Linux User Group
William Corporation
Women of Southwestern PA
YMCA of Pittsburgh

Serving outside of Western PA we partner with:

Africa ICT Right in Ghana
American Nicaragua Foundation in Nicaragua
Buckner International in Texas
Capuchin Franciscan Friars in Papua New Guinea
Catholic Church in Nicaragua
ELWA Hospital in Liberia
Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Ghana
Google in Ghana
Help Our Children in North Carolina
InnerChange Works in Colorado and Nicaragua
James Connection in India
Jet Blue Airlines in New York and El Salvador
Jubilee Church International in Ghana
LAN VWA in Guatemala
Methodist Church in Oklahoma, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana
Partimus Ubuntu Users Group in San Francisco
Second Life Computing in Malaysia
Street Academy School in Ghana
The Nyadire Connection in Zimbabwe

Find more information on many of our partners on our website.

Filed Under: charity, community outreach, computers, donated computers, Donating Computers In Africa, electronics recycling, fundraising, goodwill, humanitarian, Humanitarian Work In Ghana, pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Volunteering, recycling, refurbished computers, volunteering, volunteers

Volunteer Day at Goodwill

November 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Volunteer DayWe owe a giant thank you to the many people who made our big volunteer day at Goodwill on November 16th a success! We were able to get so much done that Friday, it made the finishing work on Saturday a breeze. On Saturday we had 33 volunteers helping to sort wires, cables, software and hardware. They also helped us test over 200 laptop batteries! Check out photos on our Flickr page. and, if you’d like to volunteer with us in the future, just fill out this form.

 

Thank you to:

  • Enterprise for nice discount on the 16ft diesel box truck rental.
  • American Eagle for donating 21 used pallets.
  • Valley Tire for fixing the flat tire on our rental truck (never a dull moment with us!)
  • The Pittsburgh Parking Authority guy for not giving us a ticket for over-parking with a flat truck tire.
  • Charlie Hutchens for maneuvering the truck in tight spots for us.
  • Rick Fitzgibbon for driving to McKnight Road to get extra keys from Marty Swartz.
  • John Hamill, Jon Smith, Bob Donaldson, Richard Morgan, Bob Wray, Charlie Hutchens, Rick Fitzgibbon, Peter Carras for joining Dave in loading over 100 computers into the 16ft box truck. This was a big help!
  • And to the same team for driving out to our Construction Junction warehouse site to unload all of those computers.
  • Brian Swearingen of Construction Junction for moving 80 computers onto the box truck (saving us several hours of hard labor on Saturday).

So you see, it takes a lot of hard work to make our mission possible. We couldn’t do it all without an amazing volunteer team!

 

Filed Under: community outreach, computers, donated computers, electronics recycling, goodwill, pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Volunteering, recycling, refurbished computers, volunteering, volunteers
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