[freegeek-e-newsletter] FreeGeek's May e-newsletter

Tue May 31 21:27:36 PDT 2005

Hi everybody!  This is Free Geek's late-May e-newsletter.  Our e-newsletter
comes out (approximately) every month.  If you'd like to unsubscribe from it, 
please scroll down to the bottom of this email and follow the directions.

Contents:

I. Volunteer of the Month
II. Geek Fair is Coming - Get Involved!
III. Free Geek Goes All Sundance
IV. Free Geek Olympia
V. Staff Goings
VI. Happenings Around Town
VII. Wishlist

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I. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

Every month, we recognize one volunteer for all he or she has done for Free 
Geek.  This month's recipient is:

Rev. Phil!

Rev. Phil was one of Free Geek's early volunteers. During the chaos that 
reigned in January 2001, the Reverend walked into Free Geek and announced 
that he had lots of time to kill and wanted to be our full-time volunteer 
office manager. Being desperate, we said yes before we really knew what we 
were saying yes to :) Rev. Phil dove right in and started helping us deal 
with our new found popularity, giving tours, answering phones, training 
volunteers in the Adoption program and teaching Adoption classes.

Then one day a Free Geek volunteer helped the Reverend get a job. He was gone. 
We were sad. He kept in touch by helping to answer our info@ emails. 
Eventually, another Free Geek volunteer wrote some software that very 
efficiently eliminated the need for Rev. Phil's job (sorry 'bout that, Phil) 
and back to Free Geek he came. When he's not setting himself on fire, biking 
at break-neck speed down zoo hill, or causing other mayhem, he's bringing us 
food (the hummus fairy!), givin' tours, and generally helping out. He's a 
Rock Star!

Thanks, Rev!

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II. GEEK FAIR FIVE IS COMING!

Geek Fair Five - July 16th from 1pm until 7pm!  It should be a fabulous event
this year (as always).

Some of the things planned so far are:

* Two stages of live music - one outside and one inside.
* Giant shade tents in the street to keep everyone cool.
* A kids' activity area
* A computer gaming room running all day
* Printer smashing!

If you or someone you know would like to volunteer (we especially need a
young-at-heart kids' area coordinator right now) or host a booth, send an 
email to events [at] freegeek [dot] org, and keep your eye out for more news 
on this great yearly event!

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III. FREE GEEK GOES ALL SUNDANCE!

You might have noticed a fair amount of video being shot around Free Geek in
the past few weeks. In fact, there are several documentaries being filmed on
location at Free Geek right now.

Our very own Marie Deatherage (Blane's mom, and awesome fundraising
volunteer), is filming "Finding Rev. Phil", a class project that will
 premiere on Friday, June 10th, 7pm at the Hollywood Theatre. "Finding Rev.
 Phil" is the heartwarming story about one boy's journey towards iconography.
 For those of you who don't know Rev. Phil, this is your chance to get all
 caught up. Keep on the look-out for the director's cut (Christmas 2005).

Marie is also involved in a documentary project for the Meyer Memorial
Trust that features Free Geek and the journey that was Collaborative
Technologies and the HomeStreet project. The point of the film is to
showcase how the Trust funds projects, how one project went, for better or
worse, and how it all worked out in the end. Marie will be interviewing
several folks here at Free Geek, as well as at Homestreet. There is going to
be a lot of cool Free Geek footage that won't make into this project, but
will be turned into a Free Geek-centric film at a later date.

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IV. FREE GEEK OLYMPIA

The folks at Free Geek Olympia generously donated the following juicy bits of 
info from their nascent organization:

FreeGeek Olympia started operations in January, 2005, and currently has a core 
of 11 volunteers.  In our first five months, FGOly has recycled roughly 100 
computers and distributed about a dozen FreekBoxes to 'guinea pigs' in order 
to explore and develop our adoption program.  Much work has been done toward 
developing relationships with the local community (including other 
non-profits and county solid waste officials), building infrastructure 
(creating a hard drive testing/wiping station and monitor and printer testing 
stations, and developing operating procedures), and hashing out 
organizational policy (usually at our weekly meetings).  In mid-may, we 
received our first grant - $400 from the Community Sustaining Fund of 
Thurston County!  We are open to the public two six-hour days a week.

FGOly's most pressing concern now is relocation.  Our 350 square-foot attic 
space - while providing a safe launching pad (and some fascinating space-use 
puzzles) - is a hard limit on growth.  Space-sharing with other local groups 
and work space in government facilities are being explored, while a real 
grant-writing push is taking form.  We hope to be in a sufficient facility by 
January, 2006.

Portland's support has been instrumental in technical terms, and absolutely 
vital to our general well-being.  They give us FreekBoxes, take our plastic, 
fawn over our babyflesh, and just sit there, a hulking mass of policy and 
procedure reference. 

Free Geek Oly's website can be found at http://fgoly.org.

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V. GOINGS AND GOINGS

Sadly, two of Free Geek's staff are leaving us. Jon Tester, Operations 
Co-coordinator and Jhasen Cooper, Recycling Coordinator are movin' on. Jon is 
headed to Tempe, Arizona this summer to start up a Free Geek and start up a 
new life with his fiance. Good luck, and don't forget...get a BIG SPACE!

Jhasen is headed to eastern Oregon to live in the woods and take care of his 
grand parents. I'm not sure that sending Jhasen into the woods to plot the 
creation of his robot army is wise, but that's the plan.

They will be missed.

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VI. HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN

World Premiere of "Finding Rev. Phil"
(See review above)

Friday, June 10th, 7pm
Hollywood Theatre
NE 39th and Broadway

******************************
Pedalpalooza 2005!
June 9 - 25
Various locations around town
Free/low cost

Ever wonder who makes the best taco in town or what Portland's Groundwater 
Protection Area looks like?  Want to find out while riding your bike?  Want 
to learn how to repair your bike out in the sun with a bunch of fun people, 
or go on a bike ride to a secret destination?

Pedalpalooza is 2.5 weeks of bike fun, fun, fun, and it's mostly free!  The 
events also give you a chance to meet up with some of the great people who 
promote bike-riding in Portland and Vancouver.

Check out http://shift2bikes.org/pedalpalooza/index.shtml for a complete 
calendar of events.

******************************
Alberta Farmers' Market
Every Saturday until late November
10am - 2pm
1500 NE Alberta Street
Portland, OR 97211

Alberta Street has a brand new farmers’ market!  Starting May 21st, and 
continuing into late November, local farmers will bring affordable and 
delicious fresh produce into the Northeast neighborhood every Saturday from 
10am – 2 pm.  The Alberta Farmers’ Market is located at the corner of  NE 
15th and Alberta.  Look for seasonal fruits and vegetables, wild mushrooms, 
fresh eggs, hot food, plants and live music.

The goal of the Alberta Farmer's Market is to serve the diverse and vibrant 
Northeast community. We want to bring local farmers and their fresh, 
affordable, and delicious produce to local residents while creating
a community hub complete with music and hot food. See you there!

WIC welcome.

Questions? Contact: sarahc [at] peoples [dot] coop

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VII. WISHLIST

You might not know it, but many of our basic supplies (like printer paper and
TP) are donated to us by individuals with big hearts and a few extra dollars
in their wallets (or good scavenging skills!).  We'd very much appreciate
donations of any of the below:

- Type D vacuum bags
- Rubber bands
- Dry Erase Markers
- Hand towels
- 8.5" x 11" single-sheet white printer paper (100% post-consumer
  recycled, if possible)
- Cardboard baler
- Panel/delivery van (diesel preferred so we can run it on veggie oil)
- Big swaths of nice fabric to make the new classroom more habitable
- Food and drink for volunteers (especially chocolate)

** Want to be our dish soap or TP sponsor?  If you donate some or all of the
money, we'll use our People's Food Co-op discount to buy
environmentally-friendly soap and TP (thus keeping these purchases in line
with our environmental ethics), and Saint Liane Kocka will pick them up!
Contact liane [at] freegeek [dot] org if you're interested. **

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Once again, you've made it to the end of the Free Geek e-newsletter.  Since
you've made it all the way here, I have a joke for you (you should say this 
one out loud)...

Q: Did you hear about the circus fire?
A: It was in-tents.

Ha!  Happy trails, and we'll see you next time!

Shawn Furst
Volunteer Program Coordinator
Free Geek
1731 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
(503)232-9350
info [at] freegeek [dot] org
http://www.freegeek.org

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