Church retirees key in on salvaging computers for students
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon Retirees repair junked computers to give away to students in Tyler, Texas.
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A
dedicated group of retirees from Cedar Street United Methodist Church
repair junked computers to give away to students in Tyler, Texas. �We
really miss the workaday world,� says Del Shirley (far right). �It gives
us something to do where we feel necessary.� It costs Mustard Seed
Ministries at Cedar Street Church about $60 to repair each computer. A
UMNS photo by John Gordon. Photo number 04-515. Accompanies UMNS #531,
11/10/04 |
Nov. 10, 2004By John Gordon* TYLER,
Texas (UMNS) — Computers junked by government agencies and schools are
being saved from the scrap yard and, thanks to a small church, helping
hundreds of students. A
dedicated group of retirees from Cedar Street United Methodist Church
in Tyler recycles the computers and gives them to elementary and high
school students. Some 500 PCs have been repaired and placed in students’
homes since the high-tech ministry began two years ago. "We
had an opportunity to pick up some salvage computers," says the Rev.
Karen Morris, pastor of the northeast Texas church. "And we have always
been a group of people that didn’t like to see anything go to waste." Little
goes to waste at Mustard Seed Ministries. Dusty computer cases are
stripped of hard drives, video and audio cards, memory chips, power
supplies and even screws. The nonprofit ministry also buys new parts
needed for repairs. "Most
of the children in this neighborhood, as well as their parents, have
never had an opportunity to use a computer, much less own one," Morris
says. "They
get a little bit of experience at school," she says, "but most of the
time, they really don’t have any contact with computers." The church is in a downtown neighborhood that’s seen changes in recent years with an influx of Hispanic families. "They
(church members) don’t care who you are or where you come from or
anything like that," says 16-year-old Higinio Fernandez, a high school
student who lives near the church and received a free computer.
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A UMNS photo by John Gordon The Rev. Karen Morris says her church began salvaging used computers because �we didn�t like to see anything go to waste.�
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A
group of retirees from Cedar Street United Methodist Church in Tyler,
Texas, recycles computers and gives them to elementary and high school
students. Some 500 PCs have been repaired and placed in students� homes
since the high-tech ministry began two years ago. �We had an opportunity
to pick up some salvage computers,� says the Rev. Karen Morris, pastor
of the northeast Texas church. �And we have always been a group of
people that didn�t like to see anything go to waste.� A UMNS photo by
John Gordon. Photo number 04-516. Accompanies UMNS #531, 11/10/04 |
The computer is helping Fernandez toward his dream of becoming a lawyer and judge."Now,
I don’t have to go that much to the library — which I still do, but not
just to use the computer," he says. "I can use mine at home." Fernandez
also became a volunteer helping repair the computers. He is the
youngest member of the group. The church has about 100 members. Most are
in their 70s and 80s. The
congregation traces its history to a Sunday school class organized in
1887, and its building is a Texas Historical Commission landmark. Originally
planned as a one-time effort to give a computer to every fifth-grader
at a nearby elementary school, the program continues to grow. Now the
free-computer offer is being extended to students at a local high
school. "Let’s face it: If you’re not computer literate in this day and age, you’re not going very far," church member Tommy Gober says. The
computer recyclers learned the inner workings of CPUs and motherboards
by experience and reading books. Now, they work through software
conflicts, BIOS setups, monitor calibration and other technical tasks
with ease. Most
of the computers were surplus from state agencies. Some sat in
warehouses for months before they were turned over to the church. Those
beyond repair go to the workbench of Alvin Jones, known to his fellow
volunteers as "Demolition Man." Within minutes, Jones can strip the
parts from a computer for use in other machines. "When I started doing it, I didn’t even know how to turn one on," he says. "But I’m learning a little." Volunteers say they enjoy helping children. Along the way, they also learn more about themselves. "Believe
it or not, but we really, really miss the workaday world," says Del
Shirley, who retired from a vault and security company. "It gives us
something to do where we feel necessary." The
biggest challenge for Mustard Seed Ministries is raising enough money
to keep up with the demand for the free computers. Each costs about $60
to repair. The
church raises money with bake sales, bazaars and other events. Some of
the faster refurbished computers are sold for $100 each, with the money
going to build more free machines. Morris, a former first-grade teacher, offers free computer classes at the church. "It’s
just a great opportunity for churches to reach out in a way that will
be a permanent and a lasting influence on the kids. I don’t see any end
to it." But she says the program depends on the senior volunteers. "It’s all their hours and all the work that they do that make the program hum. They just love to see the kids," she says. Shirley
spends three or four days a week working on the computers. He sees the
program’s benefits going in both directions – to the church and the
recipients. "It beats a rocking chair," he says. "What benefit we’re giving the kids, I think we’re getting far more than we’re giving." *Gordon is a freelance producer and writer in Marshall, Texas. News media contact: Fran Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5458 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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