An ongoing, collaborative project with Red Hook Public Library and Bard College Office of Sustainability, Rehoming Tech started in response to the library recognizing an increase in senior citizens’ and RHCSD students and their families’ demands for long-term loans of laptops during the pandemic.
The program began with a kick-off event in January 2021 at which community members donated used computers and tablets. Community members with professional tech expertise trained RHEDI members in refurbishing those donated machines – adding RAM and reformatting them to run on Unix Mint where necessary; thereby turning older, slow machines into reliable ones. These devices are then redistributed through the library to people who need them.
Rehoming Tech demonstrates how collaborative mutual aid goals benefit and unify the community. This project continues and benefits greatly from volunteer involvement. To donate computers or screens, contact Amy@redhooklibrary.org for drop off. Additional ways to volunteer and support this project include printing and distributing flyers to solicit both donated machines AND informing potential recipients, raising funds for buying RAM to make devices run better for remote learning and working, and, if you have some tech expertise, volunteering your time to test, troubleshoot and refurbish machines. You can volunteer for a one-time session or on an on-going basis. Sign up to volunteer here.
