On September 8th, the Community Response Taskforce/Buffalo County Community Partners hosted a Laptop Donation Day in partnership with Motherboard a recycled technology company out of Omaha. The event was able to gather 1,624 pounds of old desktops, 690 pounds of old laptops, 40 pounds of cell phones, and 1,288 pounds of other electronics such as monitors, keyboards, wires, etc.
The amount of technology that was able to be refurbished was 28 desktops and 60 laptops. The cell phones were donated to the S.A.F.E. Center to be re-used, or recycled. The laptops will be able to be purchased from Motherboard at discounted prices. The Community Response Taskforce has committed to buy some of the refurbished devices to be given to members of the community that are continuing education or need them for work purposes through their Community Response Program. These devices will allow community members to finish GEDs, college courses, and help to improve work environments.
Matt Morris, Data Coordinator at Buffalo County Community Partners was the liaison for this event. “It was a great experience being able to work with Motherboard and all of the partners involved to coordinate this event. We had a great turnout of people despite the cold and rain, and we look forward to being able to help members of our community, and to hopefully do this again in the future!” said Morris.
After seeing the success of this event, the group is hopeful to host another event possibly this spring. A special thank you to the Kearney Area Chamber for letting the event take place in their parking lot, as well as a thank you to Scorr Marketing for donating around 50 laptops.
If you are someone you know is in need of a laptop for education, mental health services, or staying connected during the pandemic, please see https://bcchp.org/communityresponse/ for more information on how to request one.