Let loose the VAIO! In a previous life, this was my life. I was a web designer and online undergrad who lived in central Nebraska but commuted (almost weekly) to Denver to practice, write, record, and rock out with my brothers in The Calm Before. I converted to Mac in 2007, and retired this beast to my big box of tech fossils, along with old PC software and peripherals. When my family got our first computer in 1997 it was a pretty big f’n deal — like getting a new baby brother, or a horse.. or maybe a family boat. It was huge. Back to the point: you can’t just throw a computer away. Maybe I’m overanalyzing my generation, but I bet there are a few other late 20-somethings who aren’t sure how to handle the end of a computer’s life. Luckily, there are some great organizations out there who would love to give your old PC another run.

AWOL (All Walks of Life) in Savannah, Georgia, have an awesome IT training program. Here is a snippet from their program statement:

The primary objective is to provide computer training, skills and knowledge to youth, with a particular focus on Juvenile Offenders.  In concert with the IT training will be Project Mean Green, which will recycle computer technology and provide low and no-cost computing to individuals and not-for-profit organizations in the community.  Any computer equipment, working or not, can be donated to Goon Squad, who will repair and reuse what computers we can, redirecting tons of machines out of landfills and into the hands of people who need them.  After being refurbished, the computers are given to low-income families and non-profit organizations lacking access to technology.

Excellent — I can’t think of a more deserving cause. I scrubbed my drives, reloaded Windows, and donated the whole box. Hopefully some of it can still be of use. I certainly could have eBay’ed the parts for cash, but let’s be honest: minimizing isn’t about trading dozens of hours for dozens of dollars peddling your excess wares. It’s about having less as a result of needing less. Getting there can be dumpster-intensive, but finding a productive new life for your stuff AND making a positive impact on others is just all kinds of good.