[luau] spare parts - Hawaii Open Source Education Foundation

[R. Scott Belford]

Some of us have been endeavoring to help our schools and to fuel our 
passions for Linux by collecting and donating hardware to schools and 
non-profits.  Some time ago the idea emerged to start a non-profit which 
could accumulate donations, serve as a central point of contact, and 
offer a tax writeoff for contributors.  It will also allow for donations 
to LUAU and VIDEL as the community grows.  We are nearly complete with 
the incorporation.

When we last had a lot of traffic on the list about this, the main issue 
then was accumulating the hardware (and storing it)  With the help of 
Marc Hines and Tom Donahue at the Mid-Pacific Institute, initial storage 
and lab space was attained.  As donations have grown, my employer, Beth 
Tom of Pricebusters, has made storage and lab space available in two of 
our stores, Stadium and Hotel street.  Currently in our Stadium store we 
have a good 140 monitors, about 25 pc's, 20 various sparc stations, 
about 25 macs of various types, many printers, accessories, cables, 
etc., etc., and I do mean etc..  This is due largely in part to Brent 
Rofoli, Jon Baxsa, and Cody Taylor of Hickam. Jeff Zidek is responsible 
for a BIG chunk of monitors.  Sandi and Dusty of the list have made a 
critical hard drive and monitor donation.  

Most of our output has been at the Mid-Pacific institute where Warren 
Togami has been the critical component in creating and maintaining many, 
many thin client Linux workstations at a tremendous savings to MidPac. 
 Work has been done at Mililani High School.  MonMotha helped with that 
from distant lands.  Charles Paul, pretty much on his own the best I 
understand, has set up a Linux lab at the YMCA.  While he did not get 
any stuff from us, the offer was made and continues to stand.  Brian Low 
is in the VERY enviable and influential postition of demonstrating and 
implementing Linux in the Voyager school. Just last night I finished 
installing 9 Linux workstations for the Redemption Academy in Kailua. 
 We did a build-it-yourself class that was a smashing success.  I meet 
with the coordinator of another school in Kailua later today.

We would love to accept your spare parts.  The idea of this non-profit 
is that as subscribers to LUAU, this is YOUR non-profit to become as 
involved in as you like.  We have a noble mission.  Others do as well. 
 Karen Loftsrum has referred you to Honolulu Community College.  This 
sounds like a good endeavour as well.  Perhaps we can get some of those 
students interested in helping.  

My vision for the non-profit is that it operates as decentralized as 
possible.  With the establishment of 4 places to work on hardware, 
Mid-Pacific Institute at certain times, Brian Low has a spot available 
when he is, and Pricebusters Stadium and Hotel St. stores available 
during business hours, it should eventually be very easy for any student 
or professional to drop in and offer some assistance.  With the 
develpment of some organizational website that allows for the tracking 
of donations and projects, it could be easy to know where your skills 
could make a difference.

There is still much to do.  We are in our infancy stages, and you can 
make a difference.  I intend for this non-profit to outlast all of us, 
so please help in any way you can to establish an organizational 
structure that can sustain this vision.  If you have hardware, let me 
know and I can meet you or come to you and pick it up.  If you have time 
and want to give it, call or email me and we will take it.  If you are 
interested in having the freedom to come and go from our very packed Lab 
at the Pricebusters Stadium store, let me know and I will put you on the 
list. If you want to participate or be in charge, come on, the boat has 
plenty of room and many oars to row.

scott



Vince Hoang wrote:

>Hi folks,
>
>I just found/joined this list last night.
>
>I have a box full of spare computer parts. The list includes various:
>    cables (power, floppy, IDE, SCSI, cat5)
>    converters (ps2, db9, rs232, XT, AT keyboard)
>    extenders (ps2, video)
>    mice
>
>Is there a place I can donate this stuff to, preferably in bulk?
>I am half inclined to junk it all, but my better half will not
>forgive me if I simply throw them away without some recycle/reuse
>effort.
>
>Thanks,
>-Vince
>_______________________________________________
>LUAU mailing list
>LUAU at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
>http://videl.ics.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/luau
>
>
>  
>