Monthly Update - Febraury 2024
February is always a short month and this one wound down quickly, even with the extra day! It was a great month, and we’re excited to share some highlights.
Not only did we significantly surpass our distribution goal for February, but we also passed our annual goal of 6000 computers a whole month early! Congratulations to our rockstar technicians and thank you for all of your hard work making sure that computers got shipped out the door. In even more exciting news, we will hit 200,000 computers distributed across BC in March. We are very excited to celebrate this milestone and proud of all we have accomplished since 1995.
On February 8 we attended the Metro Vancouver Zero Waste Committee to present a certificate from ISED Minister Champagne in recognition of Metro Vancouver’s 20-year contributions to the Computers for Schools Plus program. The certificate was presented to committee Chair Sarah Kirby-Yung, and we were able to share more information about our program with other members of city councils who are keen for their own municipalities to become donors.
On Valentine's Day we selected 30 random request numbers from our database from our TELUS Internet for Good, Tech for Home and Connecting families programs, and waived the computer fee for those individuals. We were able to make this happen and Spread The Love thanks to a generous cash donation from the Merrifield Family Foundation. We received a lot of thank you letters in response and it’s heartwarming for us to know our work is valued and important to clients who are struggling and need access to tech to help their kids, stay in touch with family and receive a 15” screen to help “my eyes”.
We released another Stories from our Clients video this month, featuring Byron Kask and students from Robert Bateman Secondary School. Mr. Kask teaches a variety of technology related courses including an information systems course where students use donated technology to learn how to build their own computers. From there, they can let their creative juices flow and do whatever they’re interested in, from learning networking, to using open source tools to create their own operating systems. Learn more about how donated technology helps to inspire students by watching the video below.
Over 100 families have been able to participate in the Connecting Families initiative since it launched in December. If you are working in the nonprofit sector, please be sure to share this info with your clients to see if they need a device.
BC hosted western regional meetings for the Computers for Schools Plus affiliates from Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario with reps from the Yukon and Saskatchewan participating online. It’s always a great opportunity to get together with our colleagues to share stories, insights and struggles to build upon success and make our provincial programs stronger. They were especially interested in learning more about our Donor Recognition Event and had a great laugh using the props from the FRIENDS-themed event in 2021!
Thank you to all of our February donors including City of Burnaby, the Law Society of BC, Capilano University, and Conwest Contracting. Your donations go towards supporting schools like Walnut Grove Secondary and Abbotsford Christian School, organizations like the South Vancouver Neighborhood House and the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and low-income individuals through our three different programs.
Upcoming in March:
March 14 will be the last day to book a donation pick-up as we head into our year end inventory count. We will be accepting requests again at the beginning of April. If there is an urgent need to donate computers within these two weeks please reach out to Jim at DonorRelations@ReuseTechBC.ca.
Our eagerly anticipated Featured Inventory Garage sale is coming up early in March. Approved organizations and schools can receive an invitation to the sale by filling out this form to confirm your eligibility.
Our next Meet Our Team interview is with a staff member who has been popping up frequently on our social media recently! Jerred is our bookkeeper and he is quite handy with Microsoft Excel. Check out Excel Tips with Jerred if you’re looking for some new tricks!
Meet Our Team
Bookkeeper: Jerred Flynn
What is your role at BC Tech and what do you do on a daily basis?
I am the in-house accounting specialist: I handle the accounts payable and receivable, manage supplies inventory, ISED Claims, payroll, and make the necessary tax filings, among a host of other things!
Tell me about your previous roles and experiences prior to coming to BC Tech.
Before BC Tech, I was in an accounting role for a graphic design company, and before that I was in retail banking - managing loans, mortgages, and investments for individuals and families.
What do you like about working at BC Tech?
I like having the feeling of doing something for an enterprise that is making a difference: in the modern age, it is critical for everyone to have ready, affordable access to the digital world, and by helping with the support functions behind-the-scenes, I feel like I can help make a difference.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I try to maintain a number of hobbies outside of work (though that gets complicated in tax season). I am an avid reader, with a focus on sci-fi and fantasy, though I have been getting into more horror as well. I also paint, hike, dance, cook, and game with the best of them!
Do you have any interesting fun facts?
I have a karaoke list of more than 100 songs, and I have the words memorized for all of them! (And I need them, because I host karaoke events in my free time!)
What’s the best piece of professional advice you ever received?
When I went to work in the bank, my training supervisor told me, “Don’t be afraid of screwing something up: you will, inevitably. But, as long as you admit to it and you get help, there is nothing you can screw up so badly that we can’t fix it.” I took that to heart.
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