Three new youth technicians joined us as part of the CFS Intern Program during September. The CFI program provides paid work experience to youth wanting to start their career in IT. They’ve all been fast learners and its always great to see students who are excited to learn and grow; and how this experience will impact their future careers. 
 
The tech drive with London Drugs  wrapped up on September 23. This partnership also supported the Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan CFS+ affiliates . It was a great opportunity to help people outside the Lower Mainland donate their tech. A big thanks to Clint Mahlman for his leadership and support in the community. London Drugs has been a great partner for many local businesses and the Girl Guides of BC (who also received 15 laptops from us this month)  during the pandemic. Everyone we worked with at London Drugs was super helpful! And a big thanks to everyone who donated their old tech! Be sure to keep an eye out on our social media to see the results!
 
Schools across BC opened back up this month with a mix of online and in-person learning. Although the way students are learning is constantly shifting, the need for students to have access to technology won’t change. We continue to support students and schools as much as we can, especially with there being more online learning. This month we sent out 391 computers to schools across BC including the Bulkley Valley School District, A D Rundle Middle School, and Guildford Park Secondary.
 
Our Executive Director Mary-Em Waddington was interviewed on the CTV Morning Live to discuss our efforts to help schools and families during the pandemic. Listen here: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2032437

We also applied to Burnaby Board of Trade Burnaby - Business Excellence Awards in the category of  Non-profit of the Year. Our nomination packaged shared how we helped the community throughout COVID-19 by forming or enhancing community partnerships to direct more equipment to low income family homes. We won this award in 2012 and would be ecstatic if we manage to win this year! There are so many great organizations providing support to communities this year that it’s looking like some tough competition. Fingers crossed!
 
As we continue the TELUS Internet for Good Initiative, we are always looking for ways to improve our process. We’ve recently added options to allows participants to add webcams or wireless adapters when they order the desktop package. One reason for our high demand in laptops is because of the built-in webcam for video calls; adding these options makes it more accessible for everyone, especially as laptop donations have been critically low. Your donations are what allow us to keep initiatives like these going to support the local community!
 
How to donate: https://www.reusetechbc.ca/donate.html 
 
We would like to thank all the individuals and organizations who have donated to us throughout the month. With these donations, we managed to refurbish and send out over 686 computers and laptops in August to schools, non-profits, libraries, and Indigenous communities. Our refurbished tech has gone to helping some wonderful non-profit organizations this month such as MOSAIC, Pacific Immigrant Resources Society, Thunderbird Community Centre, and ISS of BC Burnaby.
 
Your Donations Matter
 
Stay safe and healthy. ​

Our work has carried on strong throughout August as we continue to support the community the best we can. The TELUS Internet for Good initiative is ongoing and has helped hundreds of families. We have also seen an increase in individual donors during the past month and it means a lot to us. Even with the challenges of the pandemic, people are still able to donate and support the community. It’s great to see individuals coming together to help those in need.
 
This month we announced our partnership with London Drugs for a tech drive running from August 4 – September 23. For those who can’t make it out to our Burnaby warehouse, this is a great opportunity to still donate at your nearest London Drugs! They’re helping to collect used laptops, desktop computers, tablets and smartphones and we handle the refurbishment and distribution. They’re also working with the other CFS+ affiliates in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
 
Our Executive Director Mary-Em Waddington was interviewed on the Lynda Steele show to discuss the partnership: have a listen here https://omny.fm/shows/steele-drex/bc-tech-company-and-the-greater-good?fbclid=IwAR2fDyItEVPDyeSvoCwErTbQCBZsd1-wbPbZR2Ev9zSBYpm2tChmkToWI6o

The end of August also signals the return of the back to school season. We are still committed to helping schools and students. Whether it be online or in the classroom, we are still sending out computers to make sure no students get left behind. COVID cases in B.C. are still rising so let’s all try to do our part where we can. We continue to see requests as part of COVID-19 response so our job isn’t done yet! Our technicians are working hard but we are always in need of donations. If you have any tech you can donate, we need to replenish our stock to continue helping BC students and families.
 
How to donate: https://www.reusetechbc.ca/donate.html 
 
Once again, a big thank you to all the individuals and organizations who have donated to us throughout the pandemic. With these donations, we managed to refurbish and send out over 250 computers and laptops in August to schools, non-profits, libraries, and Indigenous communities. Our refurbished tech has gone to helping some wonderful non-profit organizations this month such as PALS Autism Society, Burnaby Neighbourhood House, and Dixon Transition Society.
 
Your Donations Matter
 
Stay safe and healthy. ​

One of our biggest highlights for July absolutely must be the 1000 LCD we received from the Saanich School District. Their huge donation is going towards supporting the Connecting Families initiative. Their donation could not have come at a better time either as we quickly race to dwindle our current supply of monitors. All our computer peripherals are being sent out quickly so its amazing to receive such a large donation like that!
 
We shared an SFU article on our social media that talked about the combined efforts of SFU, TELUS, and other Burnaby community members to get vulnerable communities online during COVID-19. We are proud to support TELUS as their computer refurbisher for the Internet for Good initiative as part of their larger campaign of Mobility for Good.
 
Read more: https://www.sfu.ca/communityengagement/covid-19/community-initiatives/it-takes-a-village---.html

​The end of June was bittersweet as we said goodbye to many of our technicians reaching the completion of their work term. We’ve worked together through a crazy year and we are so grateful to the technicians who have been part of perhaps our most turbulent and unsure times. Even though there were some big disruptions due to COVID-19, our technicians quickly adapted to all the changes we needed to make to continue working safely.
 
To show some appreciation, we also had a lovely little send-off BBQ commemorated by this socially distant photo.

It has been an incredibly busy time as we've already given 800 computers as a response to COVID-19 and we still have hundreds more requested. Our technicians are working hard but we continue to be desperate need of donations. If you have an old laptop you can donate, we need to replenish our stock to continue helping BC students and families.

How to donate: https://www.reusetechbc.ca/donate.html 
 
Also, a big thank you to all the individuals and organizations who have donated to us throughout the pandemic. A special shout out to our month’s top donors like City of Burnaby and the RCMP. With these donations, we managed to refurbish and send out 300 computers and laptops in June to schools, non-profits, libraries, and Indigenous communities. Our refurbished tech has gone to helping some wonderful non-profit organizations this month such as MOSAIC, Lookout Housing and Health Society, Deltassist Family & Community Services, and Pathfinder Youth Centre Society
 
Your Donations Matter
 
Stay safe and healthy. Find gratitude. Stay at home.

​The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic kept us as busy as ever through May.  10 weeks into the pandemic and we are still seeing up to 20 applications a week come in for equipment from non profit organizations and schools for equipment to support students without tech at home. We’re happy to work with several non-profit organizations to support more families than we could on our own, and continue our work with TELUS Internet for Good initiative.
 
In case you missed it, Our Executive Director Mary-Em Waddington recently went on the Recycling Council of BC Recyclepedia podcast. She talked about the growing student demand for refurbished computers during the pandemic.
 
Listen to the conversation: https://www.rcbc.ca/content/rcbc-recyclepedia-podcast

After the crazy month that was March, we started to get back in the groove of our workflow. We temporarily closed the workshop in mid-March and reflected on the nature, and role of our work in Society. The effects of the of school and public library closures has amplified the need for the service we provide across BC.
 
Our Executive Director, Mary-Em Waddington, spoke briefly about the digital divide and how COVID-19 highlights the technology gap present within BC classrooms on CBC and with the Conversation Lab, noting "This is reinforcing the whole reality that so many families don't have access to technology and don't have access to Wi Fi in their homes,"  These conversations and working with a Burnaby Task Force reinforced our work as essential service.
 
We remained closed until April 20th working though new safety protocols and redesigning the workshop for social distancing. Then we got back to work in earnest and sent out 102 free refurbished laptops to local non-profits Burnaby Neighbourhood House, Port Renfrew Elementary, and Burnaby Association For Community Inclusion.  Our next critical challenge will be safely securing new donations to replenish the inventory we are distributing. While we don’t know when BC students will be returning to school, we do know the 27,000 devices loaned by districts will be recalled and those students will be without tech again.
​
When things start returning to normal, we hope that this will lead to serious discussions about access to technology in BC.
 
Your Donations Matter

Changes to Our Donation Process due to COVID-19
We are currently accepting donations for computers and laptops in a revised manner to ensure we can follow health and safety procedures to protect our warehouse staff and technicians. The change includes asking donors to box or pallet their donation up, including their completed donor form  and wait a week before bringing it over at an appointed time. Please contact Jim at 604-294-6886 ext 3 or DonorRelations@reusetechbc.ca to arrange an appointment for donations. This will reduce the number of touch points for staff and give time for any viruses or germs to die.
 
Other Workplace Changes
We have made several changes to our workshop procedures to create a safe working environment for our technicians.  Some changes we have made include:

• Donors or clients can only come with appointments
• Limiting how many technicians are in the workshop at once for social distancing
• Several scheduled disinfectant wipe downs of equipment and commonly used objects throughout the day
• Providing safety PPE to technicians

COVID-19 Policy for Staff

BC Technology for Learning has the opportunity to provide needed support to many families by providing refurbished tech. The current pandemic has, unfortunately, highlighted how important and necessary our work is to equalizing the playing field for those who have access to technology at home, compared to those who do not. 
Our work is providing an essential service.

The purpose of this document is to best protect the continued health and safety of yourself, and your fellow team mates in the workplace.  Each of us must follow the instructions.
 
Entering the workplace
1)Staff will enter the work place one person at a time, giving space to put personal effects in the locker and sign in. Then the next person can come in. Keep 2 metres apart from each other while waiting to come in.
2)After you have signed in, you will immediately wash your hands.
3)Begin work – Rob will assign work
 
Use of the kitchen

• The kitchen is a shared space and we must be diligent about hand washing before coming into the kitchen and touching handles on the fridge, toaster, coffee pot and kettle.  Please wash hands in the bathroom.
• One person will be allowed in the kitchen at a time.
• Lunch breaks will be staggered (not all at the same time)
• The kitchen will be closed as a place to eat lunch; you are strongly encouraged to eat outside (take a grey chair with you), or at your work desk provided all other staff are more than 2 metres away from you.
• Leave the garbage can lid and recycling lids open to reduce touch points
• Please pack a lunch that does not require refrigeration / microwave /toaster to reduce visitors to the workshop and extra touch points in the kitchen.
• If these rules are not followed, access to the kitchen will be taken away except for as a hand wash station.

 
Use of the bathroom

• The bathrooms are a shared space. You must wash your hands before leaving.
• If you are in there to only wash your hands, leave the door open to reduce one more touch point.
• Use a paper towel to unlock/open the door.

 
 
Work stations:

• Actively engage in physical distancing, by staying 2 metres away from co-workers at all time.
• If physical distancing can not be managed, you must wear a mask.
• You must not touch anyone else’s work desk in any situation
• Your work desk will be sprayed down before you leave, sprayed and wiped in the morning and before your lunch break.

In the warehouse

• Incoming donations will be quarantined for 5 days before being processed.
• Items that are too heavy for 1 person to lift will not be refurbished (printers/servers)

Visitors to the workshop

• Visitors will be restricted to BC Tech offices and will be done by appointment only
• Clients picking up equipment will arrive by appointment and the client will wheel the prepared dolly to their vehicle for loading. Once the dolly is returned it will be wiped down by Rob/Aaron having supervised their visit and paperwork completion.
• Visitors should not go further than the front entrance unless washing their hands
• Canada Post and VanKam may pick up equipment; garbage/recycling is to be picked up. BC Tech staff are not to assist with that work. Stay distanced.
• Please pack a lunch to reduce the number of visitors to the workshop.

Supervisors

• are responsible for unlocking the door in the morning/locking at days end
• are responsible for ensuring everyone is washing their hands on a schedule
• are responsible for wiping down touch points in the work space/or delegating that job 2 times per day.
• are responsible for ensuring there is enough soap, paper towel, etc so people can wash their hands, and cleaner for the daily wipe downs

Staff

• are responsible for their work space – don’t let people get close to you!
• are responsible for washing their hands thoroughly
• are responsible for trying very hard not to touch their face
• are responsible for listening to the supervisor on job duties, break times and hand washing
• are responsible for caring for their co-workers by abiding by these rules
• if you feel sick or unwell do not come to work/ leave work immediately.

 
If someone tests positive for COVID-19

• Sick workers will be asked to wash and sanitize their hands and will be sent straight home
• Asked to consult the BC COVID-19 self-assessment tool
• call 811 for further guidance relating to testing and self isolation depending on the self-assessment results

 
Common Touch points to be wiped down at noon and before leaving include:
Kitchen -  recycling / garbage lids, cupboard handles, sink faucet, coffee pot/ kettle/ toaster/ fridge /microwave handles. Wipe down counters.
Bathroom – toilet flusher, seat lid and ring, sink faucets, door handles, soap dispenser, all sides of the paper towel dispenser.
Workshop – time station, dollies, carts, ram cupboard doors/handles, desks, keyboards, mice, KVM switches, printer touch pad.
Warehouse –  all (11?) dolly handles, pump jacks, cleaning stations, air compressor nozzle, monitor test station including keyboard, mice, cable ends), light switches, door handles, handrails to mezzanine, and loading bay door chain. 

Alongside other changes to our usual working routine, we hope that these can help us create a safe working environment so we can continue to provide an essential service. The digital divide has been highlighted as a real issue over the past few weeks with schools turning to online education. Keeping our workplace open allows us to continue helping students and others in the community who otherwise do not have access to technology at home. Your donations matter now more than ever.
 
Thank you for your support for our work, and helping to keep our staff safe.

Every month we do an update on our activities to let our donors and clients know the impacts of our work delivering the CFS+ program.

March can be no different, even though everything about March was “different”.
 
BC Tech listened to the words of Dr. Henry and closed our office on March 20th. This was not an easy decision to make because the week prior saw a big influx of applications from families and non profit organizations as they prepared for what a “stay at home” order means for many without access to technology. Our work has not been deemed an essential service by government, and yet we know how essential it is to many people.
 
We heard Minister Fleming say that ~7% of students don’t have access to technology at home. We’re looking for partnership opportunities to assist school districts and organizations support their families in need. It’s easier for us to get one order of 30 computers out the door than it is to get 30 orders of one and time is better spent refurbishing, rather than packing. 
 
In the short time we had in early March, we are grateful to have been able to:
Provide 503 computers/laptops to families and organizations like Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House, Lookout Aid Society, TELUS health care workers, and Handy Circle Resources Society.

• We received our first donation from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (yay!) and more equipment Corrections Canada and BC Utilities Commission. Thanks to all our donors.
• Have 9 interns working with us – and we wish good luck to Stephen and Alex as they completed their work terms.

 
March was totally different and has marked the start of a new way for society to live and virtually interact, and still we must find gratitude for all the good things we have:

• Our treasured health care workers preparing for a crisis we hope doesn’t reach it’s full potential impact
• Good weather so we can get outside and witness the rebirth of spring
• Teachers developing new lesson plans and reaching out to their students after an unrestful Spring Break
• Community coming together to sing and bang pots at 7 pm

 
Stay safe and healthy. Find gratitude. Stay at home.

February has come and gone so quickly, even with the extra day for the leap year! We’ve been plenty busy this month with the return of the TELUS Internet for Good Initiative.
 
With our third run of the initiative, we’re looking to streamline and improve our process. We learnt a lot from the first time and want to make it easier for families to order computers from us. The survey we sent out shortly after completing the program last time really helped us identify the struggles people encountered when ordering. We got tons of helpful feedback and are so grateful to the people who took the time to fill out our survey.
 
We also started working to improve and upgrade our workshop! We’re starting with the workbenches that technicians use. Our Technical Supervisor, Rob, has been hard at work custom adapting features of the workstations including a backboard for mounted monitors. One of the main goals is to clear up more table space to give technicians more room to work. We will also be adding a ‘maker space’ table in the workshop as the types of devices are changing as we transition from desktop computers to more laptops, tablets, and phones. Stay tuned for more info on the progress!

It’s time for the first blog post of a new decade! January has come and gone super quick and has been a great start to 2020 for us. After coming back from our holiday break, we welcomed 3 new technicians to our team and had an in-service with Focus Professional Services about working alongside people on the autism spectrum.
 
We’ve also improved the layout of our Marketplace and are providing weekly updates! You’ll now find more tech such as printers, projectors and other miscellaneous items schools are eager to get, as well as a better sample of some of the available computers (our warehouse is 8000 sq. ft. – so it is just a sample). Be sure to keep an eye out for updates and order quickly. Some tech items like tablets and MacBooks don’t even last a day on the Marketplace!
 
In January, we sent 351 refurbished computers and laptops to schools, non-profits, libraries, and Indigenous communities to some wonderful organizations such as Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria, The Centre for Child Development, 411 Seniors Centre Society, and Thriving Kids Care Society.  We’re happy to support them as they support their clients have better tech access and digital learning skills. A big thank you  to some of donors this month including ActiveCo Technology Management, TELUS, and Canada Revenue Agency. I think we’re the only people who are happy with the CRA comes to call.
 
Saving the best for last – the BIG exciting change is that after 26 years, the Computer for Schools program officially rebranded as the Computer for Schools Plus, or CFS+ . The reason for this change is to better communicate what the program is about and how it serves people. We do more than just computers and we help more than just schools. We’ve been accepting all kinds of tech donations and have sent tech to non-profits, libraries, and Indigenous communities in addition to schools and its important to reflect that in the name and marketing.