4/9/21

We both on in at 9:30 and went over the HFA grant and submitted it. We added a new laptop to inventory and installed windows on it. I sent a mass donor email about pickup times. We started looking at the QBE grant and will start writing soon. We got lunch around 12:15 than after that we planned a dropoff. We looked at a map of subways in Manhattan and took the path to 23rd with 6 laptops on us. We dropped off 3 of these laptops at BRC. We then took the remaining 3 laptops on the F train to drop off around avenue C and second street. I walked Dylan back to the path but went home for the day at 3 because Dylan was going to be picked up at 4.

 

4/7/2021

I arrived at the office at 9:20 today to attend a meeting and get my Senior project contract signed and approved. Dylan arrived at around 9:40. We went over the whiteboard for the day which will be attached at the end of the post. Yesterday after I went home Zajac picked up 5 or 6 powerful laptops from a guy who wanted to donate. I first inventoried all of the laptops then started the process of cleaning and installing the C4P custom install on them. Usually because of our coded USB’s the windows installs only take around 30 minutes each, but because of some BIOS issues as well as windows activation issues we slowly got all of the computers ready for donation around 2 pm. During this time I also looked through the volunteer applications and responded to two applicants, one who is listed as having experience refurbishing computers and another who has been a computer technician for over 30 years. I emailed them both individually asking when they are possibly free to come over and help refurbish and fix some machines. So far we have gotten a reply back from the computer technician which is very excited because his help will be big. One of the laptops that we were installing windows on was extremely dirty and had hardware issues beyond our repair, however, because the RAM and hard drive seemed intact, I took the machine apart and salvaged those specific parts. We both went out to get lunch at 12:30. When we got back Dylan had a meeting that I sat in on. Afterward, Zajac got a call from a guy who runes a karate studio and nonprofit who had applied for Computers, the only problem was that we did not see his application so after we told him to resubmit Zajac and I went through the system ourselves to see if the application was to difficult or confusing for people. After working on the laptops and getting them practically fully set up I had to leave at 2 to go back to the city for an eye doctor appointment. Zajac stayed at the office and worked with a volunteer named Sacha who comes and helps out often. After my appointment, I worked a bit from home checking my emails and sorting through the volunteer applications. Below is the whiteboard from today and a picture of the laptops set up at our workstations.

 

4/6/2021

Dylan and I both arrived at 9:30 and left the office at 5:45. When we first got in we went over the whiteboard. Below are pictures of what it looked like before we left at 5:45 as well as a picture of the workstations we set up afterward. Zajac then taught me how to use the custom Windows 10 install boot USB during the software part of refurbishing computers. We also went over how to use and operate the CRM system. The CRM system holds information on volunteers and applicants. After that, I refurbished and formatted a desktop using the new USB then added it to the inventory system meaning that it is ready to be donated. I then formatted and refurbished another desktop by installing windows 10 and a wifi chip. I am going to use this computer to send emails and use our systems during my time in the office; Eventually, it will be donated. We went to Panera at 12:30 and got lunch. At 1:00, Zajac had a meeting with a nonprofit called Peace first that I sat in on. The meeting included going over past accomplishments and future goals for C4P as well as bouncing ideas around about getting a van and hiring a full-time employee. C4P received a $250 mini-grant from peace first last year and we are eligible for another one this year. After I sat in on Zajac’s meeting I started the process of reapplying C4P for the mini-grant again. Right now we are waiting to hear back from Peace First before we can move forward. In the meeting, a Peace first employee suggested that Zajac and I log our hours as well as volunteer hours. I set up a google sheet where hours can be entered and automatically added. Zajac and I then worked together to start building a powerful computer for a 17-year-old young autistic man who was approved to receive a computer. We are still finishing up the computer and finding a time to either drop it off at his address or to have him come and pick it up. We then took out the trash and I began working on another grant application from an organization called March ON. The grant application (which is for $1000) required a long written statement as well as a budget for what we will use the money for. I had Zajac send me the receipts of previous bulk orders for parts to refurbish computers and compiled a budget showing how we will spend the grant money on hard drives and Wi-Fi chips to refurbish computers. Tomorrow I am planning on getting in contact with people who have expressed interest in volunteering at C4P as well as applying for more grants.