We are grateful for the opportunity to look back at 2022 and call out some initiatives and developments that helped us and our community get through another turbulent year and fuel hope for the year to come.
Be Without Limits
Gabriel Israel and the marketing and ESG team at Amdocs partnered with reBOOT Canada to raise funds and provide indigenous youth across Turtle Island with a reBOOT Canada refurbished laptop.
Gabriel’s ingenuity and commitment drove the “Be Without Limits” campaign to achieve a target of $35,000 and, by the end of November, distribute 100 laptops directly to indigenous youth applicants in almost every province and territory. We’re proud to partner with Gabriel and his team to support the work of the excellent teams at vital organizations such as:
| Spirit of the Children Society | New Westminster | BC |
| Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation | Fond Du Lac | SK |
| Child & Education Services | Biigtigong | ON |
| Odawa Native Friendship Centre | Ottawa | ON |
| Qitani Inuit Association | Iqualuit | NU |
| Centre for indigenous Theatre | Toronto | ON |
| Nogojiwanong Native Friendship Centre | Peterborough | ON |
| Niijkiwendidaa Ansishnekwewaag Services Circle | Peterborough | ON |
| Beausoleil First Nation | Christian Island | ON |
| Ugpi’Ganjig First Nation | Eel River Bar | NB |
| Native Child & Family Services | Toronto | ON |
| Workplace Education Manitoba | Winnipeg | MB |
| Native Women’s Centre | Hamilton | ON |
| Nishnawbe-Gamik Friendship Centre | Sioux Lookout | ON |
| John Howard Society of Peterborough | Peterborough | ON |
| Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre | Halifax | NS |
| Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre | Winnipeg | MB |
| Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Indigenous Dept. | Peterborough | ON |
| Individual applicant | Curve Lake FN | ON |
| Individual application | Edmonton | AB |
31,000 Amdocs staff around the world were asked to donate as Gabriel took on the personal challenge of climbing to Base Camp at Mt Everest, recording his experience in poignant and dramatic expert photographs and sending back updates. Three large format exclusive prints from the trip were sold to Amdocs and the proceeds were all directed to the Be Without Limits initiative with reBOOT Canada.
Thank you once again to Gabriel and the Amdocs team for your vision and support in this initiative.
Donation Support Partner – Quantum Lifecycle Partners
In February of 2022 Quantum Lifecycle Partners became our exclusive logistics and donation support partner. In 2022, we received over 63,000 unique items, from monitors, printers and keyboards to laptops, desktops and servers. Quantum LP helps us reach as many donors as possible with appropriate transport equipment and staff with the skills to handle valuable IT assets efficiently, safely and securely.
We appreciate Quantum’s help and we’re confident that you will appreciate their quick response and professionalism when you donate to reBOOT Canada. If you are a corporation or organization refreshing or rationalizing your fleet, donation pick ups are still initiated at www.rebootcanada.ca/donate. We also now have a method for dropping off donations in the Peel/Halton/York region, simply indicate Peel Drop Off on your form and we’ll provide you with special instructions.
Increase in Donor Response
Speaking of donations and donors, we have been fortunate to see our donations recover to pre-pandemic levels, diverting over 60,000 items into a reuse, redeployment and responsible recycling stream.
This response from our donors is more notable as we navigated a switch to new logistics partners, dealt with covid-related operational changes which ultimately led to appointment-only drop offs at our Toronto Evergreen Brick Works and Peterborough locations.
Thankfully, our donors rolled with the changes and we’re working hard at making the process as efficient and smooth as possible. Our donors in every community we serve have shown leadership in reducing environmental impact of our consumption of electronics and your continued support helps us make access to the internet and important tools for education and employment available to member of our communities living with low-income and otherwise needing supports.
This year, with the help of the City of Toronto and the Region of Peel, we will be helping over 800 families connect with their communities, go to school, seek employment and access programs and healthcare. We will also be working in remote communities supporting capacity building with free internet hot-spots in youth-led projects. We’ll also be working with long-time community partners Miziwe Biik to ensure paid placements and skills development opportunities are available for indigenous youth in the GTA as well.
Finally, I am deeply grateful to our staff, who continued to adapt to adjusted operating hours, changes to scheduling and fulfillment processes, supply chain challenges and new ways of delivering our services remotely. Throughout the year, our staff across all locations kept the doors open and the lights on safely and reliably. In particular we take this opportunity to wish Scott Brasier a speedy and complete recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to our Charlotte Street office soon.
Thank you for helping us fulfill the mission of reBOOT Canada. You may have donated your personal computer, arranged for your company to donate a fleet of retired IT assets, used our reSTART program to obtain a refurbished laptop, spent some time with us to learn more about computers, or you may have made a cash donation through the Canadahelps.org or Benevity platform.
In every case, you put your trust in reBOOT Canada and for that we sincerely express our appreciation to you and wish you, your family and community a safe and happy Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in 2023.
Francisco Rota- Executive Director