Helping the Needy Get Nerdy in Michiana Since 2002
FGM (Free Geek Michiana) lost its web server in a temperature spike over a year ago. The hard drive died and our backups failed, a double whammy. We are pleased to have a new server built by our own volunteers and housed in a temperature and humidity controlled data center. Remote backups are performed daily.
Our old web site is partially recovered from the Internet Archive. You can read our old site at our recovered web site. We are bringing it up to date and will revert to it soon.
Many thanks to Free Geek Portland, "The Mothership", whose staff provided us with a page on their public Wiki for months and months.
You probably have questions so let's get to it.
FREE GEEK MICHIANA is a South Bend, Indiana, based non-profit organization that recycles used technology and provides computers, education and access to the Internet to those in need in exchange for a few hours of community service.
FreeBox
FREE GEEK Michiana receives donated used computers, refurbishes them and makes them available to
low income families and individuals in exchange for community service. The computer systems we create
(FreeBoxes) are loaded with a GNU/Linux operating system and Free and Open Source (FOSS) application
programs: word processors, email clients, web browsers, file managers, etc.
Our volunteers receive computer systems, components and peripherals in exchange for their help. FREE GEEK Michiana conducts FreeBox classes where we distribute computer systems to low income individuals and families. The recipients take a 3-hour class, pass a hands-on test and take a FreeBox system home.
FreeLab
FREE GEEK Michiana is developing a community technology center (lab) utilizing refurbished computers.
Community volunteers will teach classes in beginning, intermediate and advanced computer
subjects. People can use our lab in exchange for volunteer time or a cash donation.
FreeLan and Nerds4Nonprofits
FREE GEEK Michiana will offer computers, local area network installation and maintenance, software,
custom programming and support nonprofit organizations. Volunteers will handle the lower level tech
support and paid staff or contractors deliver advanced support services.
FreeWire
FREE GEEK Michiana sees the necessity of community-owned and controlled nteworks. Every neighborhood
should have easy and inexpensive access to a community network and the Internet. FREE GEEK Michiana
envisions wireless neighborhood networks fanning out from our neighborhood FreeLabs. FreeWire will
be the last program FGM institutes as it is dependent on the successful implementation of the
FreeBox, FreeLab and FreeLan programs.
Volunteer. We need help demanufacturing, rebuilding and refurbishing computers and many other tasks. Volunteers are eligible to take training courses when they are available and receive free or discounted parts and merchandise from FREE GEEK Michiana.
Donate your old hardware. FREE GEEK Michiana accepts any computer and any computer related hardware in any condition. If you are donating equipment that is known to be broken or a computer older than a Pentium-3 PC, we do ask for a donation to help with our processing costs.
There is a $15.00 disposal fee per monitor, working or not, no exceptions -- this includes computers with built-in monitors.
Drop off your donation. Drop off your small or large computer donations on Tuesday and Thursday evenings 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at our warehouse office in the Studebaker Business Center, 743 W. Chippewa, in South Bend, IN. We appreciate an advance phone call (see Contact us below).
Call for pickups. FREE GEEK Michiana does not have regular pick up services. We pick up only:
Otherwise, drop off your donation at our warehouse as described above.
Donate money. Ask us about our plans and our material needs. Donate cash along with your hardware donation.
Contact us. Call 574-298-2706 and ask for Tom Brown, our director. This is Tom's personal mobile phone so he won't respond as "Free Geek Michiana" but as himself.
Page last updated: Wed Nov 26 22:58:38 EST 2008