Calgary charity gifted dozens of refurbished laptops for women in need

The Calgary Women in Need Society (WINS) has been given a significant tech donation to help its clients.

Non-profit organization Electronic Recycling Association (ERA), along with law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, has gifted WINS 43 refurbished laptops.

“They will change lives,” WINS president Karen Ramchuk said. “Everything we do, we do because of Calgarians and their generosity.”

The organization runs community programs for in-need women and their families. The laptops will be passed out to help with everything from adult employment services to teaching girls how to code. 

ERA founder and CEO Bojan Paduh hopes the donation will help bridge the "digital divide."

"We believe that access to technology is essential in today's digital age, and by donating these laptops, we hope to contribute to the advancement and enrichment of the community," he said. 

“It’s not a luxury anymore to have a computer,” staff member Julia Armstrong added. “It’s important for professional reasons, it’s important for personal reasons: it just helps in so many different ways.”

The ERA was founded in 2004 to address the growing problem of e-waste and to help those in need with unused items. Utilizing recovery, refurbishment and reuse, ERA is known for supplying charitable groups with donated IT equipment. 

WINS currently operates six thrift store locations and a donation centre, helping more than 17,000 people in Calgary — roughly 20 per cent of the city’s poverty population. 

To learn more about what it does, or how you can help, visit its website.