Yes, we do "give" good computers away at $0.00. You can get one in exchange for volunteer work in our community technology centre. Our two main sharing programs, and the core of our non-profit, have varying levels of learning and time commitments:
Our other activities, such as our Thrift Store, help support these programs.
No previous computer experience is necessary! We teach you all you need to know. You keep both the complete computer you earn, and the free education. No tuition fees are required, either. The main requirements, besides your getting here, that we build upon are the good old-fashioned skills of reading, writing and arithmetic.
Funny, huh? Those are the traditional 3 Rs, and yet there is now another meaning for "3 Rs": Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Free Geek Toronto, like all Free Geeks, focuses on Reuse first, ethical Recycling second, and the overall goal is to Reduce the environmental impact of electronic waste.
What makes us different from all the other places in Toronto where you might be able to get a free or cheap computer is twofold:
This free software translates into huge costs savings for everyone, but even more important than low costs - in our humble opinion - is the philosophy of "free as in freedom", sharing, and coming together in a safe community environment to help each other, as well as the environment. By sharing with others, we divert perfectly good, working computer parts from the landfills, as well as helping our shared air quality by reducing the need to have all the unwanted electronics trucked long distances to recycling plants.
Computer Adoption
Volunteer in our centre for 24 hours, take a 3-hour Ubuntu orientation class, and take home a complete computer at no cost except, perhaps, transportation. It will work and it will be an Internet-ready, multimedia desktop, and full of the most popular kinds of software most people need.
The kinds of things you'll be doing in this program are covered in our Volunteer Packet, something you will receive after taking an orientation tour of our centre.
Computer Build
Enjoy learning the entire process of building computers from parts, take the class - if you haven't already graduated from the Adoption program - and take the 6th computer you build home. Yes, you'll also be testing computers built by others, to ensure a great out-of-the-box experience for yourself and your neighbours in our community.
This is basically becoming your own technician, for the low, low price of your time and travel, and learning to keep it running safely and securely. At your pace, this program typically takes 60 hours, and is extremely popular with those budding hobbyists and do-it-yourselfers who don't like to depend on others, empowering themselves along the way.