Donate old computers to Lake County United Way
As spring cleaning gets under way, United Way of Lake County wants to recycle computers for local families who need them.
Computer donations can be dropped off at United Way's office, 330 S. Greenleaf in Gurnee, weekdays during business hours.
A computer donation drive also will be Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1, at the Deerfield CITGO, 1460 Waukegan Road. These computers will be repurposed for Waukegan High School families enrolled in the Computer Learn and Earn initiative.
“The Computer Learn and Earn is really serving a purpose,” said John Estal, retired computer refurbisher and volunteer. “Families that don't have a computer are totally handicapped. This is a great way to put technology into the hands of the families that couldn't otherwise afford it.”
The gas station is owned by Dave Welsh, who also is a part of the Waukegan school district. Anyone who donates a computer during the CITGO drive will receive a free fountain drink. Donation/tax forms will also be available.
Items needed are: laptops and towers (with Pentium 4 or newer processors preferred), keyboards, cables, printers, any computer hardware, flat screen monitors, laptop bags and mice. All computers are wiped clean of personal information.
Volunteer computer refurbishers are also needed and can contact Alicia Garcia at Alicia.Garcia@uwlakeco.org.
United Way of Lake County discovered through focus groups and research that many Waukegan families lack a home computer; others don't have technological skills.
Parents in the Computer Learn and Earn classes now have both, and their child has access to an important homework tool as well.
“Participants are engaged, they ask questions, and they truly want to be involved in their child's education,” said Garcia, program manager.
Computer Learn and Earn classes meet once a week for three weeks. Volunteers from Abbott Laboratories teach parents how to operate a computer and perform basic tasks. Parents are introduced to District 60's Infinite Campus computerized records system, which allows parents to check their child's attendance and academic performance online.
In the final session, parents are given information they can use to help their children succeed in school and go on to college.
To date, more than 75 computers have been given to Lake County families in need.