11/2/2002 Napa Valley Personal Computers Users Group Computers-to-Schools Program Makes Excellent Progress
By Orion E. Hill, NVPCUG Vice President and Computers-to-Schools Program Chair
 Our Computers-to-Schools program is making excellent progress preparing computers for donation, identifying needy schools, and planning software purchases, but actual donations have been held up by a general lack of monitors to pair with the computers. We're making headway obtaining reusable monitors, but that is taking much more time than I had anticipated. As soon as we have enough monitors to complete twenty computer systems (computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, and cables), we'll begin making donations.
Eighty-seven of the more than 100 Pentium I and II computers we have on-hand have been cleaned, inspected, and tested at our first three work parties. On October 11 the Computers-to-Schools Committee staged a pilot work party to define equipment processing procedures, identify tools needed, and set up our storage facility for future, regular work parties. The committee also looked at the monitors offered by the Napa Garbage Service and found that none of the current collection was reusable. On October 16 and 23 the committee held two highly productive, regular work parties. Almost every computer checked is in good working condition.
 The main bottleneck for our computer system donation program is our acute shortage of monitors. Relatively few are being donated, probably because most computer users are electing to continue using their current monitors when purchasing new computers. We've obtained some 14-inch or larger color monitors, but we still need many more. Fortunately, Dey, L.P has just given us 12 monitors and the Computer Recycling Center in Santa Rosa, which has offered its surplus equipment, has just informed us that it has more than 50 tested, working monitors available. We'll pick up those units as soon as possible. More monitors are needed. If you have a monitor that you're no longer using, please consider donating it for our program. Also, please let your friends know about our program and suggest that they donate their out-of-use equipment.
Currently we're scheduling work parties only on Wednesdays at midday, since working conditions at our storage facility are best then and we're getting sufficient volunteers. We may schedule some work parties at other times, however, if weather conditions make midweek working conditions difficult or equipment needs to be picked up. Watch your e-mail for work party announcements.
We’ve received requests from Napa County public schools for nearly 200 computer systems. A preliminary list of those schools prioritized by greatest need based on several criteria has been developed and will be further refined. Currently at the top of the list is one elementary school that doesn't have any classroom computers.
Actually, the donations we are planning will not be our first. Last August we donated business printer supplies worth more than $1,200, which had been given to us by Best Wishes Gifts & Cards in Vallejo, to the Napa County Office of Education. Also, we have just donated two used Apple Macintosh computer systems, including a laser printer and networking equipment, to Napa Junction Elementary School. The equipment will be used by both children and adults, including English-as-a-Second-Language students enrolled in Napa Valley Adult School courses.
The following NVPCUG members are currently serving on the Computers-to-Schools planning and coordination committee: Orion E. Hill (Chair), Bill Wheadon (Vice Chair), Buck Buchanan, Hilton Des Roches, Al Edmister, Randy Klokow, Don Robertson, and John Simcoe. Everyone named except for Bill and Randy also served on the ad hoc committee chaired by Hilton that reviewed and recommended approval of the Computers-to-Schools program implementation proposal, including a supporting $10,000 grant, I had presented to our board of directors in September. Additional volunteers who have helped pickup, check, and/or store computer equipment since mid-August include Jerry Brown, Jim Hearn, Roger Lewis, Ray Riley, and Lou Schirm.
If you would like to volunteer for a work party or have any computer equipment or software licenses to donate, please send e-mail to OHill@napanet.net or call (707) 252-0637.
For anyone wishing to make a significant equipment donation contact the follow address:
by: Orion Hill. Napa Valley PC Users Group
Computers-to-Schools Program Coordinator
Napa Valley Personal Computer Users Group
Computers-to-Schools Program
www.nvpcug.org
CTS@nvpcug.org
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