[Macwoburn] Fwd: Status of MacWoburn & NPMUG efforts to get Mac and PC computers to MS, LA, TX - March 15, 2006

P.A.M. Borys trainer at mac.com
Thu Mar 16 09:08:08 EST 2006



Begin forwarded message:

> From: Dave Sevick <dave at davesevick.com>
> Date: March 16, 2006 12:14:45 AM EST
> To: Terry Pollard <tpollard at cableone.net>, Jack Bowell  
> <jack at bowellville.com>, Marlon Yarbrough <yarbroughllc at cox.net>,  
> Larry Homitsky <umdirect at wpaumc.org>, Cooper Munroe  
> <coopermunroe at comcast.net>, "P.A.M. Borys" <trainer at mac.com>
> Cc: "A. Donaldson" <radonaldson at mac.com>, Otis McAliley  
> <o.mcaliley at comcast.net>
> Subject: Status of our Pittsburgh efforts to get Mac and PC  
> computers to MS, LA, TX - March 15, 2006
>
> Terry Pollard, Jack Bowell, Reverend Yarbrough, Reverend Homitsky,  
> Cooper Munroe and Pam Borys,
>
> It has been a few days since I've been in touch with you all. Let  
> me bring you up to speed tonight:
>
> NOVA Chemical ( http://novachem.com )  is committed to being a  
> corporate partner in the effort to help the Center for Hope ... and  
> in turn, you all in the Gulf.  I'm being assured by the great PR  
> and IT staff ... all the way up the the CEO ...  that we are going  
> to make this happen very very soon ...  but I'm waiting for written  
> approvals and procedures to be in place before I "go public" with  
> this vital partnership.   As you all may know, NOVA Chemical is one  
> of the leading petrochemical plastics corporations in the world and  
> they are now based here in Pittsburgh.  I am close friends with CEO  
> Jeff Lipton and his wife Dr. Shelley Lipton ... who just happen to  
> be Apple Computer users  :-)    I take care of their networks.     
> NOVA has a large stock of used-but-in-great-shape retired Windows  
> PCs "almost ready" for our use in the Center for Hope donation  
> system.  We need to take care of  some software donation issues  
> before they  release these CPU's.   We are also working on some  
> other partnerships with fellow companies   that handle  
> environmental waste of unused parts here in Pittsburgh.   As well  
> as firm assurances your needy recipients in LA, MS, and TX  
> understand the importance of social responsibility of proper  
> disposal ... and how that can adversely effect the soil and water.   
> NOVA also is working with us on styrofoam packing and boxes for  
> Gulf shipments.  I worked with Ed Gray of NOVA at the Beaver plant  
> on Monday March 13th with box dimensions and we should have packing  
> in our hands in the next  few days.
>
> Hi-Tech Scrap ( http://pittsburgh.backpage.com/services/classifieds/ 
> ViewAd?oid=oid%3A83326&name=computer ) is a Pittsburgh based  
> recycling company referred to us by fellow Apple User Group friends  
> John Carson and Marty Swartz (http://abbott-street.blogspot.com) .   
> We  gave them our first  large load of our "waste" on Saturday  
> March 11, 2006  and plan to work on an ongoing relationship.
>
> The Pittsburgh International Airport Authority has offered  all  
> their retired computers, monitors, mice, keyboards, and HP laser  
> printers.   The first palette of computers will be ready next week  
> and has over 40 machines with Windows 2000 freshly installed ....  
> ready to go ....  In this case we just need to get paperwork and  
> authorizations in order ... and we are good to go !!!   I'll be  
> talking with Airport IT coordinator Richard Gregory again in the  
> next few days.
>
> Public relations have been very good, both local and national ...  
> David Pogue of the New York Times, Maureen Byko of the Pittsburgh  
> Post Gazette, Mike Pound and Robyn Russo of the Beaver and  
> Allegheny Times, Chuck Joiner of the national Mac User Group  
> Center  and tonight Sandy Foderick of the Apple User Groups ......
>
> Apple User Group Bulletin - March 15, 2006
> _____________________________________________________________________
>
> COMMUNITY NEWS - MEMBERS
> _____________________________________________________________________
>
> 1] - Starting Small: Making a Big Difference
> .......................
>
> A short while ago, Pam Borys of MacWoburn put out a call to the user
> group community: Help user group members affected by hurricane  
> Katrina.
>
> From there her project grew. With Dave Sevick of the Pittsburgh Apple
> User Groups and the South Mississippi Mac User Group, the results have
> been wonderful. Dave has arranged for the refurbishment and  
> donation of
> over 100 fairly recent computers. Terry Pollard gets the word out and
> Cooper Monroe helps coordinate shipments.
>
> See what can happen when groups work together.
> http://tinyurl.com/jm7mz
>
> These groups are the definition of community.
> http://macwoburn.org/
> http://web.mac.com/pittsburghgroups/
> http://www.sm-mug.org/
> _______________________
>
> In addition we now have Cooper Munroe, freelance writer for the  
> Pittsburgh Post Gazette .... and leader of the Been There  
> Clearinghouse ( http://www.beenthereclearinghouse.com ) partnering  
> with community leaders in the Gulf and with Pittsburgh Katrina  
> survivors to find specific needs to be met.
>
> Working with Apple User groups leaders Terry Pollard in South  
> Mississippi and Pam Borys in Woburn MA ... we decided to set a  
> price of $25 to cover some the remote shipping costs of these  
> computers.  I am working with my Apple colleague here in  
> Pittsburgh, Patrick Cranston, on getting the PayPal charitable  
> system in place so credit cards can be accepted easily .... without  
> the need for a special PaytPal account.   Demographic data can be  
> collected in the PayPal application system also .... so we can  
> match donated computers to specific people ... based on their  
> needs.  Our goal is a system where these machines will reach people  
> immediately upon shipping and will be labeled specifically for each  
> person ..... with advanced notice  of shipping for that family so  
> they can have the anticipation of the donated computer under some  
> type of control.  The last thing we need is a mad scramble when the  
> trucks pull in to MS or LA  .....
>
> I still have memories of last summer ...  of the mayhem when the  
> used iBooks were sold for $50 in Virginia .... people trampled each  
> other.
>
> The Methodist Church here in Western PA, led by Reverend Larry  
> Homitsky , stands ready to help us ship these computers via large  
> trucks  ..... and they have strategic warehouses via the Church at  
> our disposal.
>
> The Baton Rouge, LA Christian leader/lawyer  Reverend Marlon  
> Yarbrough (http://www.yarbroughministries.com/index2.html)  
> continues to work with Cooper Munroe to help identify specific  
> needs from the front lines of storm-torn LA ... see these articles  
> by Cooper:
>

>  http://www.yarbroughministries.com/articles.pdf
>
> Fixing New Orleans - One by One
>
> March 12th, 2006 by Cooper in general
>
> I have an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today about an  
> amazing person, the Rev. Marlon Yarbrough, who is
> doing what he can, through his own initiative, to help his friends,  
> family and neighbors in New Orleans. Click here for
> a link to that piece.
> The Reverend is doing what many of the “institutions” are not -  
> helping small, home-based businesses in the Ninth
> Ward of New Orleans - a beauty parlor, a print shop, a graphics  
> business, a daycare. He is seeking in-kind donations
> and seed money to get the businesses back on their feet. It is  
> truly inspiring and wonderful – and progress is already
> being made!
> In the next few weeks, trucks driven by representatives of the  
> Western PA Methodist Center will deliver to those
> businesses computers refurbished by the North Pittsburgh Macintosh  
> Users Group. For more information on the
> group’s Gulf Coast outreach visit www.thecenterforhope.com.
> Just yesterday a top hairstylist in Pittsburgh offered the beauty  
> parlor (Elka’s Beauty Expressed) three of his salon
> chairs. Now we just have to find a way to ship them.
> To see the list of in-kind donations the Rev. has identified for  
> the small businesses he is helping, click on the “Small
> Businesses” tab above or click here.
> Reverend Yarbrough can be reached by email:  
> info at yarbroughministries.com or through his website:
> www.yarbroughministries.com
>
>
>
> ---------------------
>
> So, I appreciate your patience while I work to make the first  
> shipment to you all in the Gulf ... a well organized one ..... that  
> can be repeated over and over and over and over .....
>
> My love and deepest prayers go out to all of you suffering in the  
> aftermath of this storm.   My hope and goal, however,  is to do a  
> little more  :-)
>
> We have numerous people here in Pittsburgh, PA all showing a desire  
> to commit time, money and resources.
>
> I will continue to move forward as God's timing allows.  I'm  
> pushing hard  :-)
>
> Many thanks to all who are helping and took the time to read this  
> rather long and optimistic summary of things done ... and things to  
> come.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Dave Sevick and Bob Donaldson
> Co-Directors of the Center for Hope Computer Donation Program
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
> Dave Sevick
> Apple Certified Technical Coordinator
> Helping people use technology in Pittsburgh
> Western PA, WV, OH, MD ... Since 1988
>
> 724.779.0099 office
> 724.272.2580 mobile
> dave at davesevick.com
>
> Dave Sevick Consulting
> http://www.davesevick.com
> ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
>
>
>
>



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