The Free Geek movement started in Portland, Oregon in 2000, when one man started collecting cast-off computers in the corner of his dining room. He planned to fix them and give them to community members who could not afford to buy them. It quickly grew from a pile of 6 computers to 20,000 computers. Today, there are several independently run Free Geek organizations all over the U.S. and Canada.
Free Geek Toronto launched in 2009 in the Junction as a completely volunteer-run organization. In 2014, our offices moved to the heart of West Queen West and became an employment social enterprise. Today we sell affordable low-cost computers running Open Source Software diverted from the landfill with the help of our staff and volunteers.
Watch our latest video about Free Geek Toronto:
To promote social and economic justice, focusing on marginalized populations in the Greater Toronto area by:
- Reducing the environmental impact of e-waste through reuse and recycling
- Increasing access to computing and communications technologies
- Promoting the use of Free and Open Source Software
- Providing technical education, training, and job skills
To make our city a place where e-waste is disposed of responsibly, safely and ethically, and where everyone has access to computers and the Internet.
Free Geek Toronto meets the needs of our clients by liaising with a broad spectrum of resources and partners within our community. Our partnerships have helped us continue to serve our community and work with new clients on a daily basis.
Here is a list of our great community partners and funders:
PlanetGeek Toronto