Our good buddy Jordan from Vancouver's semi-secret start-up Strutta is brewing up another great initiative with Vancouver Free Geek and proclaims:

"Clear your life of your unused hardware, and help a very worthy non-profit in the process! All donated items are sorted for usefulness and if necessary, either refurbished or recycled in their volunteer program. Useful refurbished items are donated to deserving volunteers and non-profit organizations."

This project works to solve a couple of problems:

1) companies with dusty CRT monitors, old PCs missing hard-drive, peripherals which are "too good to throw away" (but no one will ever actually use), can pass the gear down the tech-feeding-chain with the warm fuzzy that the gear isn't ending up in landfills where toxic compounds leisurely leech into the ground water and plastic sits for a half-life, but instead their used-up gear is possibly enriching someone's life a wee bit;

2) people who are on the barren side of the digital divide - whether they are financially-challenged and/or eager to get started using computer but don't know where to start and are confused by the stats and buzzwords spewed out at the neighborhood computer-mart can participate with the earnest volunteers in building their own machine for low/no cost, whether for personal or non-profit use.

Talk about teaching someone to fish rather than buying them some sushi!

Here's the details and the routine from the ringleader via Gastown Tech Businesses Team Up for Free Geek Hardware Drive:

The Gastown tech community is organizing a “Free Geek” Hardware Drive. On Friday, Dec 7th, participating Gastown tech business will donate their old, unneeded hardware to Free Geek, a non-profit that “helps the needy get nerdy.”

There's still time to be added to the list pf participating businesses, and have your donations picked up next Friday. To participate, send an email to: Jordan[at]strutta.com and you will be added to the pick-up route. Then just bring your hardware for donation on Friday the 7th, and the truck will make its rounds, stopping eventually at Vancouver’s Free Geek headquarters at 117 E. 2nd Ave.

So do not delay! Start sorting out that equipment cabinet and clear out for pickup and good karma.

Here's the list of acceptibility:

* Computers
* External Modems
* Printers
* Scanners
* Keyboards and Mice
* Fax Machines
* Computer cables
* CRT Monitors
* CPU/CRT combos (like iMacs)
* LCD Monitors
* And they're really on the hunt for a server rack!

And a few things they'd rather not see:

* BULK jewel cases or CD's
* Electric Typewriters
* Stereo Equipment
* Styrofoam - (Can be taken to Masonville Plastics in Surrey)
* Televisions
* Microwave Ovens
* Copiers
* Smoke Detectors
* Appliances (including air conditioners)

For more information on Free Geek, and a complete list of what they will accept, visit: www.freegeekvancouver.org. To get your business added to the list of stops for Friday, (no matter how much you have to donate, anything is appreciated) just email jordan[at]strutta.com.