Empower Up

Getting “lean” with packaging.

2011-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

This interesting article about recycling packaging materials was written by Lisa Schmidt, Empower Up board member and chair of the Clark County Solid Waste Advisory Committee.

October Collection Events

2011-10-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Empower Up is participating in two electronics recycling events this month.

Saturday Oct. 8 - 9am to 1pm

Clark County Environmental Services Event Collecting: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), Block Foam, Computers and electronics (including monitors and TVs).

Padden Parkway

Clark County Public Works

4700 NE 78th Street

Vancouver

Saturday Oct. 23 - 9am to 1pm

SW Washington Chapter of Credit Unions Annual Shred Day and E-cycling Event. Collecting: Computers and electronics. NO TVs, NO MONITORS, NO BLOCK FOAM accepted at this event.

JC Penny Parking Lot

Columbia Tech Center

19005 SE Mill Plain Blvd.

Vancouver, WA 98683

Parking lot is located off of 192nd Ave.

Star Trek at the Kiggins

2011-09-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Empower Up Presents: Star Trek (2009) at the New Kiggins Theater. Come out and support Empower Up and the Kiggins Theater and catch a great sci-fi action movie in the process. 100% of ticket sales will be donated to Empower Up. One night only, don't miss it!

$6 at the door, no advanced sales.

Sunday, Sept 18
7:00pm (doors open at 6:30pm)
The New Kiggins Theater
1011 Main Street, Vancouver, WA

Local nonprofit agencies recognized for success

2011-09-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Get the scoop on Empower Up and all the other organizations that were recognized at the 2011 Non-profit Excellence Awards.

Volunteer Spotlight

2011-09-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

by CollinNeuhauser, Volunteer

Volunteer Ken Lovall

KenLoveall, a volunteer at Empower Up, has an intriguing history ofworking for the county and continues to use his skills to better thecommunity. He worked for 23 years with the county and spent his last13 years there as a programmer and cartographer. For a large portionof those years he worked as lead programmer for the County’srevolutionary Geographical Information Service (GIS). For thatproject he was required, along with 21 one others at the program’shighest point, to bring together terabytes of spatial andattributable data. His team was successful after four difficult yearsof work on their state-of-the-art project. The GIS system has come inhandy for many residents of the region as it is possible to researchthe value of neighbor’s, client’s, and personal propertyholdings. Check out the website by clicking here orby going to http://gis.clark.wa.gov/gishome/.

Ken,now retired, has donated his time and extensive knowledge of databasedevelopment to Empower Up. He is currently working on a volunteerdatabase, made from scratch, to replace one that has been giving theorganization usability problems. Ken’s goal is to deliver aproduct, using free open source software, that will enable staff toaccess volunteer information efficiently and will be supported by hisexpertise if any issue should come up.

Kenhas explained his dedicated volunteerism by stating that he lovesprogramming but needs a reason to do it, enjoys the feeling ofaccomplishment after completing a difficult project, and just wantedto be able to give back to the community. Everyone at Empower Up isin anticipation of using Ken’s database product, first glances arevery promising!

Kenalso helps out Empower Up by tabling events and working on computers,with an emphasis on Macintosh computers. He is a valuable member ofthe Empower Up volunteer team. Ken is very patient and thoughtfulwhen working with other volunteers. Everyone looks forward to workingwith Ken as he brightens the day with his pleasant demeanor, candidintelligence, bow-ties, and love of sci-fi.

Super Summer Sale!!!

2011-07-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

This Friday & Saturday, July 29th & 30th, Empower Up is having a huge sale! 25% OFF everything in the store, including laptops, dual-core towers and flat screen TVs. The greatest savings of the year, so don't miss out!

Battleground Collection Event

2011-07-07T08:41:00.001-07:00

Join us this Saturday for our Battleground Collection Event at the NE Corner of 5th Ave and 1st Street. Empower Up and Clark County will be collecting electronics, HHW and block foam from 9am to 1pm.

Empower Up welcomes new board members.

2011-07-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Daily Insider covers the addition of new members to our board of directors. Welcome on board (pun very much intended) Jim, Michael and Lisa!

Join us for Earth Day!

2011-04-23T08:16:00.001-07:00

Join Empower Up at Salmon Creek Park for the Clark Public Utilities Stream Team - Earth Day Celebration. Eco-fair is today from 10am to 2pm. Live music show starts at noon. We'll be helping kids make wind chimes and other fun sculptures from recycled computer parts.

Earth Day at Marshall Center

2011-04-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

We will be celebrating Earth Day at Marshall Center today from 11am to 4pm. Join us for all the fun.

Electronics Round-up in Ridgefield this Saturday

2011-03-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

Empower Up and Clark County Public Works are collecting computers, electronics and block foam at Ridgefield High School on Saturday, April 2 from 9am to 1pm.

First Projector Test

2011-03-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Our projector donation to the Friends of the Kiggin's passed the first test - the projector is powerful enough to work in the New Kiggin's Theater - an 8o foot throw to a 60 foot wide screen! Next we'll be testing the HD (1600x900) resolution to see if the quality is up movie theater standards and there needs to be some problem solving around where we mount it. All in all a good test - picture looked pretty good even at 1024x768 and was bright enough to see even with the house lights on...you gotta love a 4,500 lumen projector.

Non-profit grants in the media

2011-02-15T09:43:00.001-08:00

Empower Up has granted 13 computers to local non-profit organizations for the month of January. We got brief write-ups in the Vancouver Business Journal and the Daily Insider web site.

2010 Numbers

2011-01-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

In 2010:

Empower Up processed 16,815 donated items dropped from 2,846 WA residents. An additional 4,958 items were collected during the 30 events or off-site pick-ups during the course of the year. The number of donors increased 163% over 2009, and the amount of equipment donated increased by 212%.

Empower Up had the help of 577 volunteers that put in 10,468 hours of service to help us accomplish our mission this past year. Volunteer sign-ups increased 663% over 2009 and total volunteer hours increased by 364%.

Our volunteers helped us to get 6,612 items back into reuse, including 83 free computer systems donated to families in need or to local non-profit organizations. Reuse showed an increase of 238% over 2009.

Empower Up diverted 343,034 lbs of electronic waste from the land fill. Our recycling operation salvaged 228,833 lbs, recovering the gold, ferrous & non-ferrous metals, plastic and glass, an increase of 427% over 2009.

Hurray for us!

Empower Up offers free resources.

2011-01-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

Article in the Daily Insider about our free education offerings.

Electronics & Block Foam Collection Event

2011-01-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, January 8 - 9a to 1p at Clark College. Story by the Columbian

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

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.

Computers are given new life at Empower Up

2010-11-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

A super-fabulous article about Empower Up in the Camas Post-Record.

It’s a place where old computer parts come to die.
At Empower Up in Vancouver, wires, mother boards, hard disks and CPUs are stripped from their plastic containers and, along with items including monitors, and dumped into one of the receptacles that neatly line the wall of the warehouse style building — like coffins that hold the bits and pieces of what once was.
But at the home of this non-profit entity, these previously unwanted parts are not forwarded on to a landfill somewhere. Instead, they are brought back to life through the organization’s re-use and recycling efforts.
Empower Up offers a variety of services and re-furbished products to the community. Among them are free computer education classes, job skills training, access to the Internet, and computers for people and families in need. To support these efforts, donated computers and electronics are re-used and recycled.
“We’re trying to make sure everyone has access to modern society,” said Executive Director Oso Martin. “There’s an entire segment of society that is being left behind. Everything we’re doing is toward that end.”
Those who use the organization’s education services often at first have little experience with computers, software or the Internet.
“There is a huge fear factor that is a barrier,” Martin said. “Once you get them on there though, they are coming right back to get that Facebook account. Their confidence and self-esteem is up. It’s a good feeling to do this kind of work and see the impact you have on folks.”
There is also a thrift store at the 5000 E. Fourth Plain Blvd. location where computers not used in the organization’s other programs are tested and refurbished and offered for sale at reasonable prices.
Empower Up, formerly known as “Computer REuse And Marketing,” or C.R.E.A.M., provides its services in partnership with governments including Clark County and the City of Vancouver, organizations including The Salvation Army, educational entities such as Clark College and businesses like Waste Connections.
One-third of the Empower Up income comes from recovery of materials.
“We try to re-use as much as possible because it’s better for the environment,” said Recycling Manager Jerry Hatch. “We are adding value without adding cost.”
Empower Up became an official 501(c)3 non-profit in February 2009, but the efforts of the organization began many years earlier.
In January 2003, the program established collection sites for e-waste within the county. At times it has been a challenge to get the word out to the community, but results are becoming visible.
“It’s gotten better,” Hatch said of the success of efforts to inform the community about the Empower Up programs. “It’s been a fight for a while to get people to know about it. But we’re getting there.”
Since 2009, Empower Up has received more than 18,000 pieces of donated electronics from more than 3,100 individuals, small businesses and non-profits. Five thousand have been refurbished.
Generally, Hatch said Empower Up can get the best use out of computers that are five years old or newer. However, they will take just about anything. Computers that can’t be re-sold are broken down and used for their parts.
That’s where Jerry Kurtti comes in. He is one of the volunteers who de-constructs computers that are donated to Empower Up. He has been on the job for about the past four months. It is work he enjoys.
“I started volunteering at other places,” said the retiree, “but a lot of them weren’t very organized. But when I come here, I know exactly what I have to do. I tear these babies apart and leave.”
Empower Up has logged more than 9,500 hours of service from 484 interns and volunteers like Kurtti.
“Volunteers are the engine that helps to run the green machine we are here,” Martin said. “We are here to make their volunteer experience fun and enjoyable. Volunteers are doing the work and having fun at the same time.”
Running the day-to-day tasks of the operation are four paid staff members, including Martin, Hatch, Reuse Manager Jennifer Buschman and Volunteer Manager Shelly Caldwell.
When Empower Up first started as a non-profit in 2009, it was under an agreement with Clark County and the City of Vancouver stipulating that within two years those governments would no longer provide funding to the organization and it would have to be stand on its own.
“The idea is that when our funding runs out we will have built up our basic income streams,” Martin said. “I have no reason to believe we will not be sustainable on our own when the time comes.”
Currently underway is a fund-raising campaign, with the goal of bringing in $40,000 by the end of the year.

The effort was given a boost when an anonymous donor contributed $20,000.
Martin said he is hoping others see the potential for what Empower Up can continue to accomplish in the community.
“We are just scratching the surface with our little operation here.”

The Story of Electronics

2010-11-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is a great video about the life-cycle of consumer electronics by the folks at the Story of Stuff Project. It really shows the unfortunate impact of some of the choices we make. Empower Up helps to eliminate these kinds of problems by emphasizing reuse over recycling and using a highly ethical recycling process that is designed specifically to prevent the kinds of environmental problems described in the video. All materials are disassembled or otherwise processed by Empower Up volunteers or by our domestic partners. No materials are sent to developing nations for recycling.

E-Waste & Block Foam Round Up - Sat. Nov 6, 9a-1p

2010-11-06T06:55:00.001-07:00

Empower Up and Clark County Environmental Services are teaming up to collect your used electronics and block foam (Styrofoam). NO CRT monitors, CRT televisions or microwave ovens are accepted at this collection event.

Clark College Yellow Parking Lot #1
Saturday, November 6, 2010
9:00AM to 1:00PM

Clean out your garages and basements and stop on by...Empower Up transforms your e-waste into free technology education opportunities in Clark County.

100 Tons so far this year...

2010-10-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Our recycling efforts for the year have just crossed the 100 ton mark. That's 201,331 lbs of ferrous & non-ferrous metals, plastic and glass kept from the landfills...so far. As a responsible reuse organization, we take great care to ensure that all of the non-functioning and obsolete equipment is transformed into re-usable materials.

Internet Cafe Expansion

2010-10-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

We've just expanded our Internet Cafe network. There are now 11 computer terminals available for public access. 9 Windows, 1 Mac and 1 Ubuntu (Linux). We love helping people get connected!

Free PC Clinic - Sat. Oct. 9 - 10am to Noon

2010-10-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

Computer problems? Maybe we can help. Empower Up and the Clark College Help Desk sponsor a free monthly PC Clinic at the Empower Up Education Center. The clinic is drop-in, first come, first served. The Empower Up Education Center is located at 5000 E. 4th Plain Blvd. Suite E-101. Free PC Clinics are held the second Saturday of every month from 10am to noon.

Recycle your old electronics Oct. 2

2010-09-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

KATU has posted our upcoming e-waste clean-up event. We think that means we'll be extra busy on Saturday!

E-waste Collection events in October.

2010-09-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Oct. 2nd, Empower Up and Clark County Environmental Services are teaming up to collect e-waste and block foam. Event is located at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center, 3510 S.E. 164th Ave., Vancouver and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No TVs, CRT monitors or microwave ovens accepted at this event.

The following Saturday, Oct. 9th, Empower Up and Clark County Environmental Services will be collecting e-waste, household hazardous waste (HHW) and block foam at the Clark County Public Works Operations Center, 4700 N.E. 78th St., Vancouver, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. TV's, CRT monitors will be accepted at this event only. No microwave ovens accepted at this event.

Empower Up On Clark County Close Up

2010-09-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

Last month Clark Vancouver Television (CVTV) filmed a nice little feature on our organization.

$20,000 Matching Grant

2010-09-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Empower Up is pleased to announce the receipt of a $20,000 matching pledge. Every dollar we raise between now and the end of the year will be matched dollar for dollar up to $20,000. Double the impact of your giving by donating during this extraordinary opportunity.

Non-profit organization helps to Empower Big Dreams

2010-09-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

KATU has a nice article on the home page of the Vancouver News section about us donating computers to another Vancouver non-profit, the Dream Big Community Center.

We're Number Seven!

2010-09-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

So the Vancouver Business Journal just landed in the mailbox and this months lists are all about non-profits. Based on our 2009 tax return, we are the 7th largest education non-profit in Clark County. 2009 was our first year and the budget has grown substantially over the past year, I wonder where we'll be ranked next year? Will update with link when issue goes online.

Computer education group expands hours

2010-09-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

A nice newspaper article (sorry, no online link) in the new Oregonian Community News section about our new expanded hours in the Donation Center and Thrift Store.

Empower Up, Clark County's local computer education and reuse non-profit has expanded hours to meet the growing demand for low-cost reused electronics.

Starting on Sept. 1, the operating hours for the Donation Center & Thrift Store were extended for an extra hour every day. The new hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

We were always turning folks away at 5 p.m. By being open an extra hour each day, we hope that people that are working during the week will be better able to take advantage of our low prices.

Empower Up provides free education resources to those in need gain access to technology and the Internet.

Free computer classes are available to the public. Each month, we host PC and Mac clinics that offer free help for computer problems to the public.

Empower Up also provides free public Internet access terminals from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons.

We provide free technical training for volunteers interested in learning how to repair and refurbish computers and electronics.

Empower Up accepts both working and non-working computers and other consumer electronics from the public for reuse and recycling. A tax deductible receipt is provided.

Please call 360-735-0888 during business hours to sign-up for classes or get further information by going to www.empowerupnow.org. Participants must be pre-registered to attend classes.

- Oso Martin, executive director, Empower Up

Help us grant Computer Scholarships

2010-09-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Empower Up is looking for community members that are interested in reviewing student essay submissions in order to determine computer scholarships for Clark County youths. If you live in the 'Couve/Clark County area and like the kids, you should sign-up. We plan to give out a minimum of 100 computer systems per year via this program. Drop us an Email if you are interested in serving on the selection committee. Reviews will occur four times per year.

End-of-Year Fund Raising Appeal

2010-09-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Empower Up needs to raise an additional $40,000 by the end of the year to keep all of our programs running. Please use the "Donate" button on the right hand side of the blog to make a contribution to help support our program. Every dollar helps us to continue to provide free computer education opportunities to the residents of Clark County.

Computer education nonprofit expands hours

2010-09-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Latest article in the Columbian about our new hours. The Empower Up Donation Center & Thrift Store is now open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Tuesday through Saturday.

E-waste & Block Foam Round-up - Clark College

2010-08-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Sept. 4, Empower Up and Clark County Sustainability and Outreach are teaming up to collect electronics and block foam (Styrofoam) at the Clark College Yellow Parking Lot No. 1, located off Fort Vancouver Way. Event is from 9am to 1pm.

Clothing Swap

2010-08-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday August 31 @ the Empower Up Thrift Store & Donation Center. In partnership with the Habitat ReStore and Vancouver Green Drinks...don't miss it! Swap begins @ 6:00pm.

http://reusing.blogspot.com/p/community-clothing-swap.html

Expanded Donation Center & Thrift Store Hours

2010-08-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

Starting on September 1, Empower Up and the Habitat for Humanity Clark County ReStore will be expanding our store hours and staying open an hour later everyday. The new hours are:

9:00AM to 6:00PM

Tuesday to Saturday

Stop on by and get a great deal on that refurbished computer or stereo component that you've always wanted.

Back-2-School Sale

2010-08-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Empower Up is having a sale! Back-2-School savings of 10% off computers & laptops and 25% off everything else in the store. We have several laptops this week and a few dual-core desktops. Sale runs now until the end of August.

Free PC Clinic

2010-08-12T14:20:00.001-07:00

Having computer problems? Bring in your PC! This Saturday, August 14th from 10 a.m. to noon, Empower Up will be hosting a PC Clinic facilitated by Clark College Student Help Desk. Service is first-come, first-served and FREE!

Green Fair - UUCV, July 18

2010-07-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Empower Up will be helping kids make wind chimes from used computer parts at this years Green Fair at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Vancouver (located at 4505 East 18th Street). The event goes from 11:15am to 1pm. Come check it out!

E-Waste & HHW Collection Event - Battleground

2010-07-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today (right now in fact) Empower Up and Clark County Sustainability & Outreach are collecting electronics and household hazardous waste from 9a to 1p. Event is located at the Battleground Police Station at the intersection of 1st and 5th, just off Main Street in Battleground city center. Clean out those basements, closets and sheds and come on down.

Empower Up Rocks the Clark County Recycled Arts Festival

2010-06-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

Empower Up staff & volunteers spent the day helping folks to make their very own wind chimes from recycled hard drives and other salvaged computer parts at this years Clark County Recycled Arts Festival in Esther Short Park. Great weather was on hand for all of the many crafty booths representing an impressive amount of reuse.

We're at it again tomorrow from 9am to 4pm. Stop on by and say hello.

Empower Up staff member and volunteer both featured in Columbian article.

2010-06-18T09:54:00.001-07:00

A great story in the Columbian newspaper about the class of 2010 graduating from Clark College. Our very own Recycling Manager, Jerry Hatcher and education and thrift store volunteer Cathi Aakervic are both prominently featured. That's Jerry at the front of the line.

Clark County Recycled Arts Festival - June 26 & 27

2010-06-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

Look for Empower Up at this years Clark County Recycled Arts Festival 9am to 4pm on Saturday June 26 and Sunday June 27 at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. While you're there you can stop by our booth and make your self a wind-chime out recycled computer hard drives. Be sure to visit the Vancouver Farmer's Market which is right next to the park on Esther Street - 9am to 3pm Saturday and 10am to 3pm Sunday.

E-Waste & HHW Collection Event - 6/19, Camas, 9a-2p

2010-06-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

This coming Saturday morning, Empower Up and Clark County Sustainability & Outreach are teaming up once again to help you clean out your closets, garages and basements of electronics, Styrofoam and HHW (Household Hazardous Waste). Event is located at Camas Public Works 1620 SE 8th Ave., Camas WA.

E-Waste & HHW Collection Event - 6/12, Hokinson, 9a-1p

2010-06-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, Empower Up and Clark County Sustainability & Outreach are teaming up once again to help you clean out your closets, garages and basements of electronics, Styrofoam and HHW (Household Hazardous Waste). Event is located at Hokinson Fire Station, 17718 NE 159th St., Hokinson, WA.

WSRA Conference wrap up.

2010-05-27T10:52:00.001-07:00

Finally recovered from the WSRA 30th Annual Conference that was held over May 23-26. The after party at the Red Lion was really fun...hence the needed recovery.

There were some great presentations, including a great life cycle analysis of single use water bottles vs tap water (spoiler alert: tap water wins!) and Seattle gardening celebrity, Ciscoe Morris gave a 188 slide show about natural gardens that was really interesting and pretty funny to boot.

It was great to meet many of the folks in the Washington recycling community. We hope to be participating in the conference for a long time to come.

WSRA Conference - May 23 - 26, Vancouver Hilton

2010-05-23T08:19:00.001-07:00

Empower will be assisting with the 30th Annual WSRA Conference this week at the Hilton in downtown Vancouver. Our staff is getting free registration in exchange for providing all the multimedia technology, such as laptops, LCD projectors and sound systems. We also baby sit each laptop/projector to make sure everything goes smoothly for the moderators and presenters. First session is this afternoon with Oregon DEQ's David Allaway (his talks are always very interesting and thought provoking) and culminating with a tour of the Empower Up facilities on Wednesday afternoon. Big thanks to our Reuse Manager Jen for helping to get all 4 laptops installed, updated and prepped for the event.

E-Waste & HHW Collection Event - 5/22, Fern Prairie, 9a-1p

2010-05-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, Empower Up and Clark County Solid Waste are teaming up once again to help you clean out your garages and basements of electronics, Styrofoam and HHW (Household Hazardous Waste). Event is located at Fern Prairie Fire Station, 600 NE 267th Ave, Fern Prairie, WA.

E-Waste & HHW Cleanup - Washougal, 5/15 9a-1p

2010-05-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, Empower Up and Clark County Solid Waste are teaming up once again to help you clean out your garages and basements of electronics, Styrofoam and HHW (Household Hazardous Waste). Event is located at Washougal Public Works, 2201 C Street, Washougal, WA.

E-Waste & HHW Cleanup - La Center, 5/8 9a-1p

2010-05-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend, Empower Up and Clark County Solid Waste are teaming up once again to help you clean out your garages and basements of electronics, Styrofoam and HHW (Household Hazardous Waste). Event is located at the La Center Fire Station, 414 E Cedar Ave. in La Center.

Non-profit & Business Connections Fair

2010-05-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just returned from the Non-profit Network of Southwest Washington's annual Non-profit & Business Connections Fair at the Hilton in downtown Vancouver. Kind of a debut party for the new name. Lots of good networking thanks to our esteemed board members Leonard and Tricia (pictured) who were working the room on our behalf. We scored a gift certificate to Tommy O's too!

Empower Up Thrift Store One Year Anniversary

2010-05-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of the opening of the Empower Up Donation Center and Thrift Store. We celebrated with a little 10% off everything sale. Our friends at the Clark County ReStore share our anniversary too. Big thanks to all of the many volunteers that made the first year possible.

Recycle Your Computer @Work Day - DHS Edition

2010-04-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Empower Up is in the middle of our first "Recycle Your Computer @work Day" for the employees who work at the State of Washington Department of Human Services offices in Vancouver. The morning shift is complete and we'll be headed back shorty for the lunch shift. Big thanks to Empower Up Board President, Leonard Bauhs for both organizing and staffing the event.

Green Drinks 2 Year Anniversary

2010-04-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the 2 year celebration of Vancouver Green Drinks. Empower Up donated a sweet P4 desktop computer with LCD monitor (with all the usual accoutrement) for the Grand Door Prize and Mayor Tim Levitt gave a quick talk on what the City of Vancouver is up to on the sustainability front. If you are in a sustainable industry in Vancouver/Clark County, you should check this group out...they meet every last Tuesday of the month at a variety of locations around Vancouver.

Pics from todays E-Waste round-up.

2010-04-24T19:01:00.001-07:00

A few downpours...

...lots of Styrofoam...

...and a fun time was had by all.

Intro to GIS - free class Sat. 4/24

2010-04-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Empower Up is happy to announce our first Intro to GIS class this Saturday, April 24 from 11:00am to 12:30pm.

Learn about geographic information systems and how information is used to create computer maps. In addition, we will explore Clark County's Maps Online and the Property Information Center. GIS expert Ken Loveall will cover types of spatial data, map layers and themes, local property information, and how to transfer this information to other databases and online tools. Space is limited.

Cost: free.

E-Waste & HHW Clean-up - Clark College - Apr. 24

2010-04-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Empower Up is helping out Clark County Solid Waste with another HHW & E-waste Round Up. This weeks event is located at Clark College (Parking Lot: Purple 1, off Fort Vancouver Way) Sat. April 24 from 9am to 1pm. Celebrate Earth Day and bring your old electronics and computers for reuse and recycling.

Earth Day!

2010-04-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday John Muir.

John Muir (1838-1914), naturalist, conservationist, and founder of the Sierra Club.

New website is live!

2010-04-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

We just finished uploading the new version of our website: www.empowerupnow.org and we just want to say...we love our new name!

E-Waste & HHW Clean-up Event Sat. April 17, 9a-1p, Ridgefield, WA

2010-04-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Empower Up is once again helping out the folks with Clark County Solid Waste and picking up e-waste that is brought to this years HHW (Household Hazardous Waste) clean up on Saturday, April 17 from 9am to 1pm at Ridgefield High School 2630 S Hillhurst Rd.in Ridgefield, WA.

PC Clinic

2010-04-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

This months PC Clinic is underway (10am-Noon) in the Education Center (5000 E. 4th Plain, Ste F, Vancouver WA) drop by if you're having PC problems and the fine folks from the Clark College Help Desk will give you a hand.

Electronics Clean-Up Event in Yacolt - Saturday April 10, 2p-4p.

2010-04-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

Empower Up will helping helping out the folks with Clark County Solid Waste with another of their HHW (Household Hazardous Waste) collection events. This Saturdays event is in Yacolt, WA at the Yacolt Primary School, 406 West Yacolt Road. The event is from 2pm to 4pm. If this is in your area - tell all your friends to bring their computers and other electronics to help a good cause.

A new lift-gate for Big Blue.

2010-04-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

I just got back from picking up our big blue truck from Mount Trailer, where they just completed installing our new 4,000# capacity lift gate. Big thanks again to the Kind Heart, Free Spirit Foundation for funding this upgrade and more big thanks to Mount Trailer for giving us such a generous discount and super-fast turn around. We're now ready for all our electronics clean-up events this spring/summer.

Next on the list is the new fancy wrap signage with our new name/logo on all sides of the big box. I can't wait.

New Name is Official

2010-04-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Our name is now officially Empower Up. Many changes involved in making the transition. Here are some important links to our new sites:

www.empowerupnow.org
facebook.empowerupnow.org
twitter.empowerupnow.org
blog.empowerupnow.org

Official roll out and unveiling of new website on April 19.

Computer cast-offs on missions of mercy

2009-11-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

Nice write-up in the Columbian about our growing partnership with Mercy Corps.

Canned Food Drive

2009-11-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

The CREAM Thrift Store is hosting a food donation collection barrel for the Salvation Army food drive. Bring in 4 cans of food and receive a coupon for 10% off your purchases. Help us to help make the holidays better for those in need.

Halloween Costume Party this Friday!

2009-10-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Passing on an invitation to the Vancouver Green Drinks 1st Annual Halloween Costume Party - co-hosted by the Clark County ReStore and CREAM:

Hello Everyone!!!!!!! Halloween is right around the corner. Help us celebrate in style!!! Check out the details for our 1st Costume party as Green Drinkers!!!!

Location: Clark County Habitat For Humanity ReStore
5000 E Fourth Plain Blvd
Vancouver, WA 98661 US
When:Friday, October 30, 6:30PM No Tuesday meeting this month!!!!
Phone:503-329-5590

This is your opportunity to bust out that reuse/recycle creativity and possibly win some fabulous prizes!*

(Get a raffle ticket for a drawing at the door just for coming in costume and bringing your own cup!)

Some of the members of River City Classic Rock and Soul Band will be providing live tunes.

Applewood Northwest Bistro and Catering will be serving beer, wine and light snacks. (CASH ONLY)

There will also be some fabulous free non-alcoholic drinks provided by Izze and the ReStore.

As were are attempting to limit waste with this party, please bring your own cup for your drinks. One cup equals one chance to win a raffle prize! (sustainable cups will be provided by ReStore if any of us forget ;-))

Feel free to invite your friends and co-workers, this time space isn't limited. The more the merrier.

Vancouver Green Drinks would like to say a very special thank you to our sponsors for this event:

Clark County Habitat For Humanity ReStore http://www.pdxrestore.org/
Izze Sparkling Juice http://www.izze.com/
The River City Band http://www.rivercityband.net/
Applewood Northwest Bistro and Catering http://www.applewood.net/
Computer Reuse Education and Marketing (CREAM) http://upgradeyourcommunity.org/

*If you would like to donate a small item for the raffle prizes, please bring it with a detailed label the night of or email Laura and Terra at vancouvergreendrinks@gmail.com.

Please RSVPs to this email so we can give the caterer a rough estimate of how many people to expect, drinks, and food to bring.

We hope you will be able to come join us! Laura Sauermilch and Terra Heilman

Prices slashed in the Thrift Store!

2009-10-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

We have been slashing prices on all items in our thrift store - you can now get a complete computer system - P4 w/WinXP, LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers for just $100 - $200! Lots of great savings on everything in the store! Come on down and check it out!

Flying Solo

2009-10-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

I taught my first Intro to the Internet class today (prior to today I was merely assisting our lead instructor). Four enthusiastic students spent a hour and then some learning that "Surfing the Web" isn't nearly as athletic a pursuit as it sounds. Our newest volunteer instructor Cathy was assisting me...soon she will be teaching this course by herself as well. Next week I get to learn how to teach our Intro to Google Docs course so that I can teach it solo in November.

More free classes this week!

2009-10-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Spaces still available:

Intro to the Internet, Thursday, Oct. 22 - 7pm to 9pm
Online Resume using Linked-In, Friday, Oct. 23 - 10a to noon
Intro to the Internet, Saturday, Oct. 24 - 10a to noon

Call 360-735-0888 to get signed up!

Public Wireless Access added to Education Center

2009-10-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Finally! A decent, working wireless G router was donated this week. It was tested and reconfigured earlier this afternoon and now we have public Wi-Fi in the Education Center. All we need now is a new sign to let everyone know it's available. Hopefully one day soon we'll get an wireless N router...but this is great for now!

Even more good press in the Columbian

2009-10-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Jerry Hatcher, CREAM's Recycling Manager got a great write up in the Columbian on how he went from being laid-off last year to working at CREAM this year.

Free Computer Classes

2009-10-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

We have the October and November schedule of classes finalized. Check out the offerings on the Education Program page at the CREAM website.

More good press from the Columbian

2009-10-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Another nice write-up, this time in the Cheers & Jeers section of the Opinion Page.

Notes Test

2009-10-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

Just a test to see if this is properly importing to the new CREAM page and not to my personal page anymore.

A gift from the ReStore

2009-09-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Janell, Alex and Brian of Clark County ReStore fame whipped up a great mosaic of our logo and brought it to our grand opening. They are so sweet.

Grand Opening on CVTV

2009-09-29T02:02:00.000-07:00

Education Center Grand Opening on Clark Vancouver TV. Where Mayor Royce Pollard and Commissioner Steve Stuart say nice things about us and then and we turn on the Internets.

Nice article in the Sunday Columbian.

2009-09-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Computer Recycler Gives Itself an Upgrade

Not afraid of mice, are you?

Don't be embarrassed to admit it — many people are. Especially senior citizens who have never held a mouse and students who can't afford one.

That's why CREAM — Computer Reuse, Education and Marketing — is offering free computer education classes and a free Internet cafe in central Vancouver. It's there for folks who have never manipulated a computer mouse, traversed the globe via the Internet, or sent anybody an e-mail.

"We want to give free education away," said executive director Oso Martin. "We want you to have a computer, not an expensive paperweight."

On Saturday morning, CREAM unveiled its new digs at 5000 East Fourth Plain Boulevard, alongside Albertsons and the new Habitat for Humanity ReStore, CREAM's partner in keeping decent secondhand stuff out of landfills. ReStore does it with building materials; CREAM, which shares the ReStore's space, does it with computers.

Donated computers arrive at CREAM's workshop and thrift store in the ReStore space. They're tested by volunteers and students from Clark College's vocational training program. The truly hopeless are disassembled and prepared for recycling — CREAM gets 20 percent of its income by selling these recyclables on the market — but computers with a future are refurbished and either handed over to the Salvation Army, which distributes them for free to the needy, or sold for well-below-market prices at the CREAM thrift store. Those computers are loaded up with basic Microsoft software.

CREAM was born nearly a decade ago, according to Jim Mansfield of Clark County Public Works, as the federal government started considering the question of hazardous electronic waste — like mercury, cadmium and lead — in discarded computers. The city of Vancouver and Clark County started discussing ways to recycle electronic waste rather than throwing it away. The first collection brought in enough discarded electronics to fill two 50-foot trailer trucks. The next step, Mansfield said, was seeing how much of it could be returned to use.

"We started wondering, what if we brought together the recycling and re-use sides," he said.

CREAM was born as a county-driven program. And over the next six years, more than 230 computer units were refurbished and given to people who needed them. All told, 4 million pounds of electronic junk was diverted from the waste stream and recycled or returned to use.

Because of changes in state law, CREAM has now spun off as a private nonprofit — working with $330,000 in start-up funding from the city and county, Martin said. It's looking to raise about $50,000 more to keep remodeling its new space — adding an actual classroom, as well as more computers and stipends for instructors. Plus, a big sign.

Martin said there are 100 computers in the CREAM pipeline right now. That's many times CREAM's old rate of processing, he said.

"It's great to see this stuff going out to people who can't afford it," said John Walway, a Clark College student and computer help-desk worker. "If both sides of the fence aren't getting their hands on technology, some are going to get left way behind."

Right now, the education CREAM offers is basic Internet literacy for the mouse-fearing — how to do e-mail, how to move around the World Wide Web, how to post pictures or résumés online.

"Especially for senior citizens who are a little afraid of technology and they're just trying to get over that barrier," he said.

Rory Bowman said the local Macintosh users group, called Apple Van, will begin meeting at CREAM. His mother, Glenna, said she's ready to sign up as an instructor.

Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard said the CREAM program is a winner on many levels. It provides computer training for students and job seekers, a free space for eager learners, and a shot in the arm for the Fourth Plain corridor — one of the city's biggest revitalization targets.

"Right now, not far from here, there are a whole lot of teenagers sleeping," he said. "They're going to find out that they've got access to the whole world right here. What better place to do it?"

Scott Hewitt: 360-735-4525 or scott.hewitt@columbian.com.

More monitors for Mercy Corps

2009-09-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

We're just about ready to ship another 100+ tested CRT monitors to Mercy Corps to assist with their Material Aid program. These monitors are destined for schools in South America, Africa and the Middle East. It feels wonderful to be supporting such great efforts on behalf of those in need.

New and Improved return policy at the CREAM Thrift Store

2009-09-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

As more resources become available, we are now able to offer a limited guarantee on purchases made in the thrift store. Parts are now guaranteed for 5 business days. Returns must be accompanied by the original receipt. We will exchange for a similar quality part if available and store credit if not available at the time of return. There are no cash refunds.

CREAM is hiring!

2009-09-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Manager
Full time w/health care benefits, please see http://www.upgradeyourcommunity.org/news.html for a link to the complete job listing and instructions for applying.

Good Luck!

CREAM Education Center Grand Opening Celebration

2009-09-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10:00am we will be celebrating the opening of the CREAM Education Center and Internet Cafe. Join some of our very supportive elected officials for the ribbon cutting ceremony, see me give a talk about the history and fabulous future of the CREAM program and get a tour of the facility. Refreshments provided and tons of free parking.

www.upgradeyourcommunity.org

Come on in...no seriously.

2009-09-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

It's quite strange...the CREAM Internet Cafe is open for day two - and once again, folks are wandering by the windows, reading the "open" signs, peering through the windows...but not actually coming inside and using the Interwebs. 3 people on Tuesday and another one just a few minutes ago. Weird.

Internet Cafe Opening in 10 minutes!!!

2009-09-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

To quote Red Leader: "Almost there..."

CREAM Internet Cafe opens Tuesday Sept. 1!

2009-08-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

After a few unexpected delays, the CREAM Internet Cafe is ready to open. We'll have 5 Internet terminals on-line for public access right away, with three more slated to be added over the next week. I'm still cogitating on how many hours of operation we can support each week - initial thinking is 1p-5p Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Another milestone in the evolution of CREAM. Once school starts and more student interns from Clark College are available, we'll be looking into expanding the days and hours the Cafe is available.

Remember: Cafe is a metaphor - there is no food or coffee, just the Interwebs.

Other firsts this past week...

2009-08-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

We have been quite busy these past weeks and I have been a bit remiss in keeping up with it all:

On Wednesday of last week, we were able to help Mercy Corps with a large shipment of monitors. This is now an ongoing partnership and we hope to do the same thing on a regular basis and also hope to expand the kinds of equipment that we can give to this great organization. Mercy Corps helps set up computer labs in schools around the world for those most in need. We are really glad to be a part of that.
On Friday of last week we shipped our first load of broken monitors and televisons to the recycling processor (IMS located in the Port of Vancouver) - appox. 3 tons worth.
Yesterday we shipped our first load of non-ferrous metals to Metro Metals NW and got a nice big check for our efforts.
Today was our first class (see earlier post)

It's been a great week!

Our First Class!

2009-08-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Is under way right now! Rory Bowman of MacRory.com is teaching a course for job seekers that shows folks how to put their resume on-line using Linked-In.com. This class is the first in a series of on-line based courses that will be offered in the CREAM Education Center in the coming months. I'll post some photos after the class is finished.

Hot Deals in the Thrift Store via Twitter

2009-07-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

http://twitter.com/CREAMvancouver

Follow our tweets to get the latest deals on quality used computers.

Internet Cafe

2009-07-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

...is supposed to open this afternoon - mmm...I think we might need an extension on that.

Update: so two machines ended up not working properly and we still need to make and string some cables (ran out of RJ45 ends). Even so, we have 6 machines (out of 8) working and 3 of those actually able to get online. I'm sure we'll be done by weeks end.

Wireless access in the park...

2009-06-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

...leaves much to be desired. Well at least it's working now, so that's something. No power is conveinient to my booth, posts will be short and sweet. Pics will be posted tonite.

Just found out the this mornings wireless issues were due to someone hacksawingdown and stealing the wireless antenna...ouch. Good job city workers for getting us all back online on a Saturday.

Update: The other thing that leaves much to be desired is mah new laptop - it has an "Ultrabright" screen - and it's all glossy and shiny and absolutely impossible to read outdoors due to glare and reflection. Too much eye strain...no more posts from the park.

Last minute preparations

2009-06-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

Just about ready for the Recycled Arts Fesitval tomorrow at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. The festival runs Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Of course that's for the public - I gotta get down there by 7am-ish to get set up. Big thanks goes out to new(ish) board member Tricia, who hooked us up with great printer to do the artwork for our booth, and is printing more brochures for us tomorrow morning. Now, if only I can get the final edits done...

We're #17!

2009-06-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

...out of 24 recycling based companies according to the Vancouver Business Journal. Based on the number of employees, 2 FTEs in our case. Our neighbors at the Clark County ReStore came in at #14 with 2.5 FTE. The lists are not available online unfortunately.

New and Improved

2009-06-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

I finally got our new website substantially complete and uploaded to the server. Check it out at upgradeyourcommunity.org. Comments and suggestions appreciated.

CREAM is now a Community Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher

2009-05-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

CREAM was just approved to be a Community MAR, which gives us access to very inexpensive Windows licenses for the computers we distribute via our partner: Salvation Army Family Services.

CREAM on City Minutes

2009-05-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Earlier today Tanya Gray with City of Vancouver Solid Waste and I were interviewed on the City Minutes program (Clark-Vancouver Television or CVTV) about CREAM, Washington E-Cycles and the Clark County ReStore. I'll update this post with the link as soon as the video is posted on-line. A short 15 min. segment - I sorta can't wait to see it for myself.