Happy New Year!

As we close out 2010, we want to thank everyone who has supported us this year with your time, your computer donations and your financial support. 2010 was a great year for Empower Up and 2011 is going to be even bigger and better! Happy New Years everyone!

WE DID IT!

Empower Up has met our fundraising goal for 2010. Our goal was $40,000 for the year and as of today we are up to $47,731. Thanks to all who gave this year to help support our organization. What a great way to end the year.

Can't we all just get along?

At Empower Up, we're curious about everything to do with computers. That's while you'll find all three major operating systems (at least for personal use) in our facility. We use Windows XP for administrative computers, We sell some computers with Windows XP and some with no OS at all via our Reuse Store. Our class room/Internet Cafe has 1 Ubuntu and 1 MacOS and 10 Windows XP terminals (all running off Windows Server 2003). Some of the free computers we grant are loaded with Ubuntu and some with Windows XP. We are in the process of building a database server that will be running a version of Linux in what is known as a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) and will be part of a new Point of Sale (POS) system that will be an open source software implementation.

We also do a lot in the "cloud". We use Google Apps for most our our internal IT infrastructure - email, calendars, document sharing and online colaboration. We also use DropBox to backup all our files on multiple computers, including several off-site.

Soroptimist International of Vancouver Anniversary Dinner

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Soroptimist International of Vancouver Anniversary Dinner, celebrating 69 years of the organizations history. The group also gives out their annual grant awards to worthy organizations. This year we are helping their dollars go further by fulfilling any computer technology requests. We are providing a refurbished office computer to one of the four award winners, Open House Ministries, this leaves the full $500 grant available to the organization to spend on other needs.

The dinner was held at Galeotti's Restaurant in Battle Ground, excellent food and wine. If your looking for a great meal while on Main Street...check it out.

New signs!

The fine folks at Security Signs have started the installation process to replace both ours and the Clark County Habitat for Humanity Store's monument and building signs. Our signs were still showing our old name (CREAM) and the Habitat Store has changed from being the ReStore. There is another organization in Washington that owns the rights to ReStore in WA...so rather than fight it, the Habitat folks just changed their name to Store just in Washington.

More photos to follow when they finish installing the building signs. We also have a new sign for the Education Center on order that will be installed after the first of the year.

E-waste & Block Foam Clean Up 12/4 9a to 1p

This Saturday from 9a to 1p, Empower Up and Clark County Environmental Services are teaming up to collect your old electronics and block foam for recycling. Tomorrows event is at the Fishers Landing Transit Center, located at 3510 SE 164th Ave. We will be accepting computers and other consumer electronics as well a clean dry Styrofoam. We are NOT ACCEPTING: CRT televisions, monitors, fluorescent light bulbs or microwave ovens at this event.