While it may no longer appear in daily headlines, the communities in and around Fort McMurray still need help, perhaps now more than ever, as they return to their lives. We want to help.
On May 3, 2016, at 5:00 pm MDT a large wildfire burning southwest of Fort McMurray resulted in the mandatory evacuation of 12 communities in the city’s area. Later that evening, all of Fort McMurray was placed under a mandatory evacuation: 88,000 individuals were forced to flee their homes.
Roughly one fifth of all homes in Fort McMurray were destroyed by the fire.
Among the things people lost in the fire is electronic equipment, and Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) wants to help those individuals and businesses by providing donations of IT equipment. We at the CIO Association of Canada have teamed up with ERA to collect equipment, in a dedicated donation program focused on ensuring affected residents have access to basic technology.
WHY: Together, we have the resources available to help affected residents and can turn unwanted or no longer necessary equipment into tools for people experiencing hardship in Fort McMurray. It’s also a need that other relief efforts may have overlooked and therefore not prepared for.
WHAT: We anticipate requests for basic equipment, including (operational and preferably less than 5 years old):
- Laptop and desktop PC computers (preferably minimum core 2 with Windows 7 operating system).
- Laptop and desktop Mac computers (preferably OS X Lion)
- Printers, printer/fax combos and document scanners (printers should have intact toner)
- Smart phones (blackberry, android and iPhone)
- Servers and server racks (Windows server 2003 and newer)
- Peripheral pieces, including computer monitors, keyboards, mice and speakers
- Routers – home and office
There will likely also be requests for other common electronic items – home phones, mp3 players and other handheld devices, TV boxes etc. ERA will accept all equipment as usual (any condition and age), however will sort based on what is received to match requests made through the program. Equipment unable to be used due to age or condition, and equipment not required for the program based on requests will be processed according to standard protocol.
Because all data, including software applications, is removed during the data sanitization process there is no requirement for software on computers. While the noted equipment is ideal, all equipment will be accepted and processed as necessary. ERA will recommend Open Office as a temporary and free solution for donation recipients.
WHO: Donations will be accepted from businesses and individuals. The form can be accessed here: https://www.era.ca/donate-to-give-back-to-fort-mac-initiative/. Once submitted, an ERA representative will get in touch to formalize arrangements (pickup date/time, packaging requirements etc.) We are prepared to process donations from across the country if organizations outside of Western Canada would like to get involved.
WHEN: Monday, June 27th 2016 until (tentatively) September 27th 2016.
HOW: With the help of the CIOCAN to solicit donations, ERA will collect equipment, have it evaluated, wiped and refurbished as necessary to prepare suitable equipment for donation. ERA offers pickup services in and around major metropolitan centres across Canada.
ERA will provide standard certification of collection and data sanitization. ERA will generate a donation certificate recognizing the donor for their contribution to the Fort McMurray donation program.
Please share this initiative with your friends, colleagues and family. For More information about ERA and our GIve Back To Fort Mac, click here.