2006 Jerry Award Entry for
The User Group Network

Prize Use:

Any monetary awards would be added to funds donated by TUGNET members, by the Kiwanis Club of Northridge and by others to purchase material (modems, sound cards, CD drives, speakers, etc.) required to upgrade donated PC’s as the Project continues

Project Description:

In December of 2004 TUGNET formed a partnership with The Kiwanis Club of Northridge to gather, repair, upgrade and distribute refurbished computers to needy children, social service organizations and local schools. The partnership’s outreach programs organize publicity, locate needy organizations and individuals and arranges for the distribution of the refurbished systems.

Our operations prior to September 2005 were described in or previous application for a Jerry Award. In our project’s ongoing operation since then, TUGNET members have performed almost all of the technical work of disassembling and reassembling and checking out computers. Kiwanis members have provided valuable help for transporting computers and supplies and locating organizations to receive computers.

Kiwanis provided a money donation and shipping boxes donated by a local supplier. Individuals, including TUGNET members made money donations. A truck was donated by a local manufacturer and the use of storage space was provided by the owner of our meeting hall.

Used computers, Pentium 3 or better, have been donated by CSUN, Simi Valley Hospital, CBS Studios, an insurance agency and several individuals.

Our project distributed a laptop to each of two women confined by disease to home, 7 computers to youth organizations, 7 computers to organizations providing services to adults, including addicted women and poor job seekers, and families. We are refurbishing 50 to 60 computers for additional organizations. To improve our productivity, we are seeking a facility large enough to store computers and supplies with sufficient space for work.