New brochures
As of June 14, 2011 our new hours will be 10:00am-6:00pm, Tue-Sat.
Some of the content on this page will need to be changed to reflect this.
Format:
- 3 per 1 sheet of letter paper, probably some sort of cardstock
- Front & back
- Printable from Free Geek
Hardware donations
what do you take?
This is a sample of some of the items we happily accept. For more info, visit our website at www.freegeek.org/donate
- computers and computer-related equipment, working or not
- audio visual stuff
- consumer electronics
- televisions
how do I donate?
Drop your items off during these times:
Tuesday - Saturday 11 AM to 7 PM
If you are dropping off more than 10 monitors and/or systems, please call us beforehand so we can prepare to accept your items: 503-232-9350
are there fees?
We do not need to charge for most donations. However, if you have more than 7 monitors, televisions, and/or systems with monitors attached, please call us first to determine potential (cheap) charges!
do you pick-up?
Unfortunately, Free Geek is unable to do residential pickups.
- Oregon E-Cycles logo
- happy receiving volunteer accepting stuff (the handoff)
contact
1731 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 (2 blocks South of Hawthorne on SE 10th Ave.) (503) 232-9350 www.freegeek.org/donate info at freegeek.org
Monetary donations
other ideas for this one
- where does it go?
- BET, HWG, Volunteers
- your contributions help this
- metric ($5 does this, $25 does this, etc.)
- benefit the community
- indirect appeal as a start
- we've given away xxx computers, xxx organizations
- sidebar for well-known orgs
why donate money to Free Geek?
Our mission: Free Geek is a 501(c)(3) not for profit community organization that recycles used technology to provide computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those in need in exchange for community service.
We have been able to achieve increasing amounts of reuse and recycle year after year thanks to our donors. Without the financial support of the community, which supports up to 20% of our operation costs, we could not fulfill our mission. Thank you!
All donations are tax-deductible because we are a non-profit. After donating, we will give you an itemized receipt with our federal tax ID.
how to I donate money to Free Geek?
- In person, at the front desk
- Online, via paypal. Visit www.freegeek.org for more information.
- Via mail. Send a check to:
Free Geek
1731 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
contact
1731 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
(2 blocks South of Hawthorne on SE 10th Ave.)
(503) 232-9350
www.freegeek.org
info at freegeek.org
Thrift Store
Volunteer
basics (inviting and appreciative)
- We rely on volunteers
- You do not need to be a computer geek to volunteer at Free Geek.
- Volunteers earn free computers.
- You do not need a computer background to contribute to Free Geek as a volunteer. We encourage people from all backgrounds to get involved. Our facility is mostly accessible, and we welcome people with different abilities. Whether you want to learn, perform community service, get school credit, earn a computer or support the cause(s), we have room for you!
- PHOTO
programs
- We have two main programs for volunteers. The Adoption Program is for people who want to volunteer for 24 hours in exchange for a computer. Volunteers in the Build Program learn how to build their own computer.
adoption program
Volunteers interested in earning a computer for free are welcome to join the adoption program. After putting in twenty-four hours of time at work and then another three hours for a class, volunteers go home with a refurbished and ready to use computer!
build program
For volunteers who are able to make a time commitment and are interested in learning or refining technical skills, the build program is the way to go. It is an estimated 60-80 hours of work spread out over about six months (these numbers vary). In exchange for building five computers, build volunteers can go home with the sixth one for free. The computers that go out to adoption volunteers, community organizations, and are sold in the store are assembled by build volunteers.
volunteer interns
If you are a gung-ho individual looking to work hard in order spiff up your resume or fulfill a school requirement, you may apply for a volunteer internship at http://www.freegeek.org/volunteer/internships/
first steps
- All volunteering starts with a tour.
- Tour times, length (what to expect on tour)
- Before becoming a volunteer of any sort, it's necessary to take a tour of our facilities. Tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday at noon and five P.M.
contact
1731 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 (2 blocks South of Hawthorne on SE 10th Ave.) (503) 232-9350
www.freegeek.org/volunteer
info at freegeek.org
Added Value
- Awards
- AOR Recycler of the Year 2006
- Chris Nichols FOSS Prize
- Mayor's Spirit of Portland 2006
- Certifications
- BAN E-Stewards
- Partnership with City
- Oregon E-Cycles
- Stats
- # of computers granted and to volunteers
- # of organizations served via HWG
- # of active volunteers
- tons recycled
- Marysville school, other school district we replaced most of their computers, Trillium Charter School
Notes from This
- We need to have a list of our awards
- We need to have outreachy photos
- We need to have feel-good stories on hand
- We need text describing our involvement with Oregon E-Cycles
- We need text describing our BAN qualification
- We need text describing our partnership with the City
Data security
what we do
Free Geek takes the security of your data seriously. We make every effort to ensure any data-containing devices we receive are either wiped clean or physically destroyed on-site.
That said, the ultimate responsibility for the security of your data is yours.
By using non-destructive means to securely erase your data, you not only protect yourself, you keep much-needed technology available for reuse in your community.
what you can do
The safest way to ensure your data is unrecoverable is to overwrite the entire drive multiple times using Darik's Book and Nuke (DBAN). Free Geek offers free copies of this, or you can download it here: www.dban.org
our procedures
Hard drives that meet our specifications for reuse are wiped in our hard drive sanitation banks. Hard drives that cannot be reuse are physically destroyed before recycling.
what about non-hard drives?
photos
PHOTO OF HARD DRIVE BEING DESTROYED, or of basket of destroyed hard drives
contact
1731 SE 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97214
(503) 232-9350
www.freegeek.org
info at freegeek.org
Recycling
reuse before recycle
In order to fulfill our mission of providing computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those in need, we attempt to reuse as much as possible. Many reused items are refurbished for volunteers or non-profit organizations. Extras or oddities are sold in the store in order to help cover our operating costs. What cannot be reused whether because it is obsolete or broken beyond repair is responsibly recycled.
why recycle?
Economic, social, and environmental benefits arise from recycling rather than landfilling or incinerating e-waste.
- Economic - it costs less to use recycled metals, such as gold or copper, than to mine them. Gold and copper are ninety-nine percent recyclable and currently 1/3 of these metals are recycled.
- Social - Landfilling and incinerating e-waste releases toxins into the atmosphere that harm human health. Residents living near landfills experience health problems and diseases, including cancer.
- Environmental - e-waste leaches toxins into the environment which can damage all parts of the ecosystem, especially fish and other wildlife. Some toxins, such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs), bioaccumulate and can remain in the ecosystem for years. BFRs are endocrine disruptors in human beings.
responsible recyclers
Unfortunately many "recyclers" employ poor labor practices, such as prison labor or outsourcing to developing nations. Free Geek only works with recycling vendors who have displayed a commitment to fair labor practices and are willing to be audited at any time.
contact
1731 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
(2 blocks South of Hawthorne on SE 10th Ave.)
(503) 232-9350
www.freegeek.org
info at freegeek.org