Geek Girl Camp Announces Laptop Donation Drive for Women In Need; Donates First Laptop to WE CAN

Sep 16, 2009 genevangelist 11 Comments

Photo: June Bertucci, Small Office Computer Support of Cape Cod; Arlene Kirsch, Executive Director of WE CAN; Paula Hersey, Penguin Digital Design. Taking picture: Leslie Fishlock, Founder of Geek Girl Camp

Contact Information

Geek Girl Camp:
Leslie Fishlock, Founder – 774.269.9222
[email protected]
@GeekGirlCamp

WE CAN:
Arlene Kirsch, Executive Director – 508.430.8111

Geek Girl Camp Announces Laptop Donation Drive for Women In Need; Donates First Laptop to WE CAN

- Program will support women locally and nationwide with donated laptops -

CATAUMET, MA, September 14, 2009 – Today, Geek Girl Camp presented the first in a series of laptop donations for women in transition in the Cape Cod, MA area to WE CAN of Harwich Port. Geek Girl Camp started this donation campaign in response to a serious need for disadvantaged women who are trying to go back to school, entering training or applying for a job.

“Geek Girl Camp is all about educating and empowering women in computer technology, so it only seemed fitting to fill the gap locally as well as create a national campaign for more women to receive laptops from very generous donors,” explains Leslie Fishlock, founder of Geek Girl Camp. “We have the resources, we have the technology, we have a huge network of incredible women in tech, and we know how to get things done. It’s a win-win on every level.”

Based on a request from WE CAN, Geek Girl Camp announced this month on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn group that they were looking for laptops to donate to women going back to school who could not afford to purchase a laptop on their own. Anyone who has a workable laptop they are not using anymore can donate the laptop to Geek Girl Camp who will then update, repair, fix and donate to WE CAN. WE CAN in turn makes the laptops available to women who are in the most need to improve their lives. The laptop donations are tax deductible and documentation is available from WE CAN.

“The collaboration between Geek Girl Camp and WE CAN will empower women in transition on Cape Cod by providing them with a laptop to further their careers and stabilize their lives”, states Arlene Kirsch, Executive Director of WE CAN. “Geek Girl Camp shares WE CAN’s philosophy of empowering women so that they can help themselves. We are grateful to the Geek Girls for the donation of this first laptop.”

The laptops are being updated and serviced by Geek Girl June Bertucci of Small Office Computer Support of Cape Cod in Hyannis. June is not only a PC professional with years of computer IT experience, she is also a Geek Girl speaker and founding member of Geek Girl Camp.

“The first laptop was donated to a woman who could not have gone back to school without one,” said June Bertucci. “The laptop was donated from a very gracious woman, who at this time, is unemployed herself. I am so proud to be a Geek Girl and to volunteer my time to be part of this program. It is very rewarding.”

Geek Girl Camp is accepting workable laptops that can be reused for more women in need. They are also looking for similar organizations around the country like WE CAN to partner with in order to expand the program’s reach. Geek Girl Camp relies on donations, barter, volunteerism and assistance from other Geek Girls and Boys, valued sponsors, advertising, attendance at Boot Camps and events, and from the sale of products on their website. So far in 2009, Geek Girl Camp has donated over $3,000 for women’s educational scholarship organizations for women in need.

About Geek Girl Camp:
Geek Girl Camp’s mission: to educate and empower every girl and woman at every age level, on every skill level, at every income level on computer technology with fun and provide a legacy by giving back and paying it forward.

About WE CAN:
WE CAN’s mission, recognizing that every community member’s well-being contributes to that of the whole community, is to support Cape Cod women in life transitions with services that bring increased opportunity, self-sufficiency, and stability. WE CAN is dedicated to assisting Cape Cod women going through the difficult transition of divorce, career change or growth, job loss, illness, or retirement—often single mothers who have suffered a debilitating divorce or loss, an abusive relationship, a severe illness, a life-changing transition, or a job loss—and who struggle to sustain their families.