Making refurbished technology available

Bridging the digital divide

Access to technology, including internet-enabled technology, is crucial to participating in today’s digital world. The pandemic lockdowns only accelerated this shift. Free Geek Toronto serves as an employment social enterprise, offering meaningful employment and skill-enhancing opportunities to individuals encountering multiple barriers to employment. We provide comprehensive training in all operational aspects—sales, refurbishment, reuse, customer service, and recycling warehousing—focusing on technology. This distinctive model equips individuals with crucial digital-age skills while reaffirming our commitment to environmental transformation and social impact.

Since 2016, we have supported over 66 program participants, most of whom have earned wages while training and learning in various aspects of Free Geek Toronto’s operations. We have paid out over $450,000 in that time period.

Of the over 1,200 computers we refurbished from 2019 to 2023, approximately 55% were sold at an affordable price (under $200) to low-income households, people on social assistance or living in subsidized housing, and as part of our Hardware Grant program.