Good to Give: Supporting human-I-T’s Mission to Transform E-Waste Into Opportunities for Underserved Communities
human-I-T believes everyone should have access to information through technology. With a vision to increase opportunities in underserved communities, the nonprofit prioritizes “shrinking the digital divide, one piece of technology at a time.”
human-I-T bridges that divide by refurbishing and reusing old electronics to give to those in need for little to no cost. As a company that relies on technology to fuel services like telehealth and its mobile app, GoodRx embraces human-I-T’s mission and donated $6,000 to the organization through its Good to Give program.
Co-founder James Jack came up with the idea for human-I-T after he overheard his manager tell a customer to throw away a virus-infected computer and upgrade to a brand new laptop. A 2019 report published by the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy and the United Nations E-Waste Coalition shows there’s an estimated 50 million tons of e-waste (electronic waste) thrown away every year. Rather than dump devices chock full of toxic, hazardous materials into a landfill, why not repurpose them?
While the waste stream is an undeniable problem, it provided a glimmer of opportunity for Jack and his co-founder, Gabe Middleton. By taking that old technology and making it usable, not only is human-I-T reducing waste, the nonprofit is also providing technology to underserved communities. Their work has been especially helpful during the pandemic, where the digital divide worsened as more Americans ended up working from home and school classes moved to remote learning.
GoodRx employee Ramie Milo saw the problem human-I-T was solving, and nominated the organization for the Good to Give donation.
“Lots of students still struggle with keeping up with school because of inadequate access to technology and the internet,” says Ramie. “Additionally, as many healthcare facilities offer telehealth options, many families that need these solutions suffer the same issue: poor access to the internet and unreliable tech.”
In a breakdown of a U.S. Census Bureau survey, USAFacts.org states that 4.4 million households with children have not had consistent access to computers for online learning during the pandemic. And at least 11 million students don’t have a computer for online learning at all.
human-I-T tackles these needs with their three core competencies:
Refurbished hardware: human-I-T takes old electronics and repurposes them to give to families and organizations that don’t have working computers or other devices. This also reduces e-waste in landfills. If you or someone you know needs an electronic device, you can send human I-T a technology request here.
Internet access: Low-cost internet helps people who do not have a connection or who are paying too much for access. The organization provides heavily discounted high-speed internet.
Digital literacy training: human-I-T gives individuals online access to local programs such as school assignments, job opportunities, and more. They also offer free computer training courses for beginners.
By breathing new life into old electronics, human-I-T is rerouting the increasing load of used technology from the landfill straight into the hands of those who need it. You can help shrink the digital divide by donating your old technology, volunteering, or donating funds to the nonprofit directly.
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Good to Give is our employee-driven charity program, where we support nonprofit organizations and contribute to their efforts through donations. To select groups to support throughout the year, we’re asking our employees to nominate nonprofits and causes important to them before taking a company-wide vote on recipients each quarter. Read more about the program and other recipients here.
