New brochures
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?
We accept most computer and household electronic equipment in any condition. We DO NOT accept:
- Styrofoam
- Microwave Ovens
- Copiers
- Smoke Detectors
- Household Appliances (including air conditioners)
- Batteries
- Fluorescent Light Bulbs
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.
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?
It depends. Please see our website for more information on pick-ups.
Oregon e-cycles
Free Geek is participating in Oregon E-Cycles, a convenient way for Oregon residents to responsibly recycle their computers (including laptops), monitors, and televisions. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has paired up with electronics manufacturers to help pay for some of the cost of recycling e-waste.
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
Monetary donations
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
why volunteer?
Volunteers at Free Geek each have a unique story to tell. Some come here to earn a free computer for their homes, others to gain technical knowledge. Whether you want to volunteer to learn new skills, perform community service, get credit for school, or just support the cause(s), we have room for you!
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.
general volunteer
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/.
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
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
is my data secure?
Our data security process is derived from Department of Defense (DOD 5220.22M) standards.
if the drive is usable, we destroy your data in 3 steps.
- Write 1s to every sector.
- Write 0s to every sector.
- Write random data to every sector.
We also verify that the data was overwritten during the final step.
if the drive is unusable, we destroy it and separate the broken parts before recycling.
may I watch this process?
Wiping a drive is a lengthy process that takes several hours. Although you cannot wait or watch while your drive is being wiped, you may request to watch your drive being put into the wiper and/or being locked up. If you would like to do this, please arrive with your drive in hand and we will connect you with a staff person who will escort you and your drive to our wiper and/or lock-up area.
what else do I need to know?
Ultimately, the security of your data is in your hands. You are under no obligation to leave your hard drive with us if you are not comfortable doing so. We offer links to data destruction tools on our website, and we offer free DBAN disks to help you ensure the security of your data. You are welcome to a free data destruction disk.
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
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