President's Notes (07/08)
President's Message
Refurbishing computers for fun and…, well, maybe just fun.
by Phil Sorrentino
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
Actually, there is more than
just fun to refurbishing computers. There are the good feelings when you
know you’ve put a computer in the hands of someone who might not have
been able to afford it otherwise. Our PC Refurbishing Project has
donated over 800 computers, since the project was initiated in November
2003. This community service effort is comprised of a small number of
very dedicated SPCUG members. Their refurbished computers have been
donated to several Sarasota non-profit organizations, to Sarasota County
Charter Schools, to Sarasota County School Board Public Schools, to
Community Organizations, and to the School Board’s TeXcellence Program.
In 2007 alone, 352 computers were refurbished and donated. Computer
donations have been received by individuals, local businesses, Sarasota
County Government, and Sarasota County Schools.
The Refurbishing Project has provided such a wonderful
community service that it has received awards from the Florida Association
of Computer User Groups (FACUG), and The Association of Personal Computer
User Groups (APCUG). The community service is so valued that it has received
Grants from Advanced Network and Services (which promotes computer education
with a focus on young people), and the Community Foundation of
Sarasota County.
The Sarasota community has been very generous in donating
equipment to the PC Refurbishing Project. There have been so many donations
that we have had to limit the type of equipment we could accept. Currently
we are only accepting donations of computers that are 5 years old or newer.
Printers and CRT monitors are not being accepted.
Those computers that are acceptable should be delivered
to the Project’s workshop at 6130 Clark Center Avenue, Unit #108 on Monday,
Wednesday, or Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. If you would like to become
part of the Refurbishing Project, or arrange delivery, or just get more
information relating to the Refurbishing Project, please contact Dave
Winkelman, by phone at 342-6442 or by email, at
supermodified@comcast.net.
Printers, CRT monitors, and any non-acceptable equipment,
especially those that include rechargeable batteries (like those found in
UPS boxes), should be delivered to the North Sarasota County Chemical
Collection Center, 8750 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. (http://www.scgov.net/EnvironmentalServices/SolidWaste/HazardousWaste/CollectionSites.asp)
Drop off Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) :
Copyright 2008. This article is from the July 2008 issue of the
Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota
Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL
34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit
computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and
our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication
the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For
further information about our group, email:
admin@spcug.org/ Web:
http://www.spcug.org/
The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,100+ members
and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User
Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are
members of the America Online Ambassador Program.
See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC
Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.