Volunteering

Free Geek depends on volunteers. Over 9000 people have registered as volunteers with us since we opened in 2006! No prior experience of any kind is needed: we will teach you everything you need to know. If you already have relevant skills, that's great too!

Tasks & Training

We take great pride in being able to teach our volunteers skill sets that are applicable in the real world. You will work with our dedicated staff and other volunteers who are all willing to share and learn new skills with you! Here are some of the tasks you can help with:

• Electronics Dismantle: Take apart electronics for recycling and reuse
• E-waste Processing: Receive E-waste, process metals, circuit boards, and wire for material recycling
• Refurbishment: Refurbish computer components and electronics for reuse
• Building: Build and refurbish desktop and laptop computers
• Cleaning: Help keep the facility clean
• Thrift Store: Provide customer service, and help keep the store neat and stocked
• Open Help Night: Provide free tech support to the community at large
• Outreach: Promote Free Geek to the public

If you have skills in other areas or there are other ways you can help us out, let us know!

Benefits

• Make connections, build relationships, and find friends with similar interests
• Gain experience and skills with computers and electronics
• Learn about the computing industry, E-waste, and recycling practices
• After 24 hours of volunteer time, qualify for the Adoption Program (see below)
• Thrift Store: 20% - 40% discount off most items

Adoption Program

Once you volunteer 24 hours at Free Geek, you are entitled to a free desktop computer, called the Adoption Box.

If you're not not interested in the Adoption Box, you can instead opt to receive a $50 gift certificate that goes toward anything in our Thrift Store.

Applying & Starting

Prospective volunteers can come to our facility and fill out an application form in person or request the form by email. From there, we will schedule you for an orientation & training session. Orientation lasts between an hour and an hour and a half. Please note, spots are limited (maximum 8 per day), and you must sign up for an orientation in advance. We are not able to accomodate drop-ins.

For volunteers under the age of 14, a parental consent form is necessary, and a parent or guardian must accompany them during the orientation. After the orientation, staff will discuss the possibility of the volunteer participating in Free Geek activities independently.