Our Donors Are the Best

Our donors are leaders in environmental stewardship. They also champion and share the commitment to providing low-cost access to computers and the internet to members of our community. Together, with their help, we are able to provide hundreds of computers to families from Cornerbrook, NFLD to Surrey, BC, over 4TB of free wireless data to communities and thousands of hours of paid-placement and skills development opportunities for young people.

In Canada, challenges to building capacity to address digital equity seem to be rooted in three persistent systemic conditions. Markets create barriers to access tools to improve educational and economic prospects for families/communities/individuals living with low income. The economics of telecom infrastructure prevent distribution of infrastructure to remote and already poorly resourced communities. Systemic attitudes and biases block marginalized groups and youth from exposure to skills development and employment opportunities within the digital economy.

These are circumstances faced by hundreds of thousands of Canadians and with the help of our donors, we work to develop sustainable programs that address these challenges to digital equity and inclusion:

1. 1. reSTART has assisted approximately 1,000 families living with low income across Canada annually by providing a refurbished laptop or desktop, with current operating system, accessories and warranty. These computers are funded in collaboration with municipal social service delivery agencies, corporate and private funding, and cost sharing with the end-user.
   2. reLAY works in partnership with Indigenous northern and marginalized communities and the Cisco Foundation to provide a free wi-fi facility for use within the community. Cisco provides the hardware and licenses, and we undertake the engagement, training, and permanent installation with the community to determine the usage norms, configuration and device deployment.
   3. reTOOL is our practice of providing ongoing paid-placements, co-op and volunteer opportunities at our bricks and mortar locations in Vancouver, Toronto, and Peterborough and to some extent remotely at satellite locations leveraging live streaming apps like Microsoft Teams.