Little Geeks: Rebooting Childrens’ Lives, One Computer at a Time

On Thursday, I had an inspiring conversation with Andy Walker, a new friend of mine. During our conversation, Andy laid out some very ambitious plans that aims to put donated computers and Internet connectivity in the homes of underprivileged children between the ages of 8 to 17.

The Little Geeks cause is close to my own heart as I would not have be where I am in life without computers. My own parents recognized the importance of putting me in front of a Commodore 64 while I was in grade 5 even though they couldn’t afford it at the time. I would spend hours and hours in front of the computer teaching myself Commodore Basic and writing my own computer programs.

I loved the idea of programming my computer and it’s unfortunate to think there are children in our society today that simply do not have the privileges I was given. To me, computer skills are a basic need; maybe not as important as food or shelter, but certainly not much further down the list either.

The Little Geeks Foundation was created in Sept 2006 to provide computers to underprivileged children in the GTA. The foundation receives donated computers from the community, refurbishes them with a team of IT volunteers, connects them with a free broadband internet connection, and gives them to children in the community.

Who is Little Geeks?
Little Geeks is run by a group of more than 50 volunteers. It was founded by Andy, a TV personality and technology writer who demystifies technology for consumers. Learn more at www.andywalker.com. Little Geeks president is Lisa Shishis, a senior nurse at Casey House.

Since its inception, Little Geeks has received more than 120 computers from the community and have pledges of another 1000 machines from corporations and individuals. They have been operating from a 3000 sq foot donated office space at 130 Bloor St W. and were recently forced to vacate due to a renovation project.

Get Involved!
Little Geeks is looking for a production space to receive, refurbish and distribute the computers. Their ideal premises would be 1000 sq ft of office space attached to 2000 sq ft of warehouse space (for computer inventory) with access to a loading dock for deliveries as well as parking for drop offs. This facility could be located in Toronto, Mississauga or Scarborough. They are seeking the donation of a 1 year lease to start.

Little Geeks can offer a donor landlord several opportunities. They’re planning a press conference through their pro bono PR agency, GCI Group. They are planning a major event for June where some of they will introduce some of their client children and staff to the media. A new landlord would be a savior for Little Geeks and would be part of the story. They have had interest from the Toronto Star, Citytv, Global, CBC radio and TV, Omni, and CFTO.

Learn more
For more info, visit www.littlegeeks.org, or contact me and I’ll be happy to put you in touch with the Little Geeks team. More information and a comprehensive press kit is also available with loads of information.