OUR RECAP OF 2017: A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR AT THE ERA
We wanted to take some time to look back at the great things that happened in 2017. We also wanted to take this opportunity again to thank all of our incredible donors for their continued support, and our charitable partners for all of the amazing work they do in our communities.
Donations
2017 has been a record-breaking year for donations at the ERA, we quadrupled our outgoing donations compared to previous years. We are committed to providing electronic devices such as laptops and computers to individuals and charitable organizations in need throughout Canada.
In 2017, on Giving Tuesday, we made the largest donation to date providing 12 organizations and communities across Canada with a donation of 300 computers. ERA built many new and exciting relationships with organizations and companies in 2017 but one that stood out the most was our joined partnership with Shell Canada. We look forward to continuing our work with them in the coming year.
On February 10th 2017, ERA teamed up with another great company called Hitachi to deliver our second largest donation in 2017 of 100 laptops to the Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth. Most of the laptops were distributed to families accessing CBFY’s services, while some of them remained at their facility in a new onsite computer lab that is accessible to all of their clients.
Community Cleanups
In 2017, we helped 15 community associations across Canada with their annual community cleanups. The ERA has always and will continue, to offer this as a free service. We provide resources for the day of the cleanup, including a truck to remove electronics collected, staff members to help with the collection and we also assist in raising awareness about the event through our social media and online communities.
We have already started booking cleanups into 2018, if you are interested please contact us today!
New Program for the youth: Parts to PC
ERA unveiled Parts to PC, a computer assembly workshop for youth aimed at getting kids involved in creating tech early. This fantastic program took place in March 2017 and it’s offered once a month on a Saturday morning. This workshop teaches youth between the ages of 12 and 15 how to build a computer from parts. This program is volunteer run and offered at no cost to participants.
Parts to PC offers foundational knowledge of computer hardware, giving participants the ability to troubleshoot and modify computer hardware to suit their desired purpose. Students are given an overview of crucial parts and their operation, a demonstration of computer assembly and then are given the opportunity to build and test a computer themselves.
School Presentations – Educating the Future of Tomorrow
In June 2017, ERA decided to take to the schools of Calgary and educate the students about the importance of going green and technology.
Our presentation consists of the following:
- Introduction to ERA
- About our Founder
- Our Mission and Vision
- Reuse Vs Recycle
- What hazard materials are in each of your technology?
- Our Programs and Community Initiatives
- Service Overview
- Partnerships
- Pop Quiz and Prizes
We combine the visual and practical aids within each of our presentations, which keep the children engaged and interested in the topic at hand. We believe that the children of today are the future of tomorrow, so why not educate them? If your school is interested in ERA presenting and educating your students, please email [email protected] for more information.
Free Phone Service for Charitable Organizations
In April 2017, ERA started offering free VoIP phone services (1-5 phone lines per charity) as an extension of our charitable donation program. This service is no charge and offers incoming and outgoing Canada-wide calls. We look forward to helping charities out with this service in 2018.
ERA Provides Free Services for Cisco Operators in Calgary
In May 2017, ERA created a Cisco lab to assist network operators and Cisco students in training who may not have the facilities or funds to rent their own lab. This free Cisco lab is dedicated to providing educational help for students pursuing Cisco certifications like CCNA and CCNP. This service mainly benefits students who do not have the experience as this service offers physical experience working with actual routers and switches. It provides exam preps and free lab scenarios for a better understanding of the following; routing, switching, security, VOIP, and wireless.
Canada: Celebrating 150 Years of Canadian Greatness
2017 marked 150 years of Canadian history. The ERA was pleased to celebrate this with fellow Canadian-owned businesses through our Canada 150 promotion (50% off destruction).
Annual Initiatives Stepped Up
It was a busy year for events at the ERA. Throughout the year, we engaged in a lot of new and exciting initiatives.
Fraud Prevention Month occurs each March, and ERA works in partnership with local law enforcement to raise awareness about fraud risks and offers some options to mitigate risk. In 2017, we were present throughout the month of March, offering free data destruction to the public as well as answering questions about the risks associated with discarded computers and electronic devices.
- March 18, 2017 – CrossIron Mills, Calgary, Alberta
- March 25, 2017 – Medicine Hat, Alberta
- March 30, 2017 – North Vancouver, BC
In April, ERA celebrated Earth Day, partnering with North Park Secondary School to collect e-waste. Also, we held our annual Earth Month Challenge throughout Canada where we offered free pickups throughout the month of April and the top 5 donors won a tree planted in their name.
On August 17th, we hosted our 7th annual awareness and appreciation golf tournament at the scenic Inglewood Golf and Curling Club, where guests enjoyed 18 holes of golf and a great dinner at Inglewood’s Club House.
For Waste Reduction Week (WRW), we held a competition between October 16th and October 22nd throughout Canada. For this competition, all you needed to do was drop off your unwanted electronics to any one of our depots with the competition poster and you would have been in with a chance of winning a refurbished laptop.
We partnered with CrossIron Mills and SouthCentre Mall in Calgary to promote Waste Reduction Week and encouraged individuals to participate in our competition.
At each of these events we had expert staff on hand with information about waste management, and we offered convenient options for the public to drop off their unwanted equipment.
If you are looking to hold an event for WRW 2018 and would like ERA to participate, please contact [email protected] and we would be happy to help.
The Twelve Donations of Christmas
Lastly, ‘The Twelve Donations of Christmas’ a new initiative we came up with in December of 2017. We donated 12 laptops to 12 organizations that were picked by the public just in time for Christmas. This was a successful initiative and we will be continuing this for the coming years.