Free Geek’s mission to bridge the digital divide, especially in East Portland and East Multnomah County, is getting a major boost with a $2 million gift from Comcast and the Mount Hood Cable Regulatory Commission.
The funds will be used by the Portland nonprofit to further its work on the Digital Equity Action Plan, a framework first unveiled by the city of Portland in 2016. Free Geek has adopted this plan and has been putting it into motion as part of the group’s mission to enable digital access and empower communities.
Specifically, the funds will allow Free Geek to partner with community organizations in East Portland, Gresham, Fairview, Wood Village and Troutdale to create pop-up technology centers. These centers will offer device distribution as well as digital navigators to help community members understand what resources are available for those who qualify for reduced-price internet service and other tools, said Juan Muro, executive director of Free Geek.
This donation and the broader work builds on a relationship between Free Geek and Comcast that has been growing over the last several years, said Muro. A major step came over the summer when the two groups announced a $300,000 donation that would build a Center for Technology Education and Digital Equity at 16742 S.E. Division St.
For that East Portland center, Free Geek partnered with Guerreras Latinas, which is already working in that community. By partnering with existing, trusted community members Free Geek can evaluate needs and then tailor support accordingly.
“For me it was important we didn’t show up in a community we have never been,” he said. “The goal is to go in to a community and help serve the folks that are already there.”
The East Portland center was a pilot for Comcast and Free Geek to test a bigger partnership, said Muro.
Over the last three years Comcast has given $5.8 million in financial and in-kind support to Oregon nonprofits.
“While high-speed internet is widely available in Multnomah County, the unfortunate reality is that not everyone has the resources and digital skills they need to benefit from it,” said Rodrigo Lopez, Pacific Northwest region senior vice president for Comcast in a written statement. “By continuing our partnership with Free Geek, we are creating a more prepared and inclusive workforce and ensuring that communities in the Greater Portland area are not left behind.”
This new funding will help Free Geek expand these digital equity programs. There will be some hiring, mostly to staff the planned pop-ups, Muro said. But for the most part Free Geek has been building its strategy around the Digital Equity Action Plan to be self-sustained within the team they have.
Free Geek selected these East County focus neighborhoods based on need. According to the group, these five areas have 60,000 households and more than 30,000 of them qualify for programs like food assistance or affordable connectivity services. Of these households 3,300 do not own a functioning computer, according to Free Geek.
“We’ve been doing this work for a while, around digital equity,” Muro said. “Comcast was one of the organizations that really saw potential in the partnership. Aside from the digital navigators and ongoing community engagement, I began to talk to them about my vision for a center in East Portland.”
Free Geek might be best known for its program that recycles electronics. Refurbished devices are made available to people that need them. The group also provides computer skills training. Muro is focused on bringing to action the the programs laid out in the Digital Equity Action Plan.
“The MHCRC has a long history of advocating for digital equity through access to and use of telecommunications technology through public-private partnerships,” said Julie DeGraw, chair of the Mount Hood Cable Regulatory Commission, in a written statement. “We are excited to be able to partner with Comcast and Free Geek to bring this resource to the community at a time when funding and support for local efforts in urban communities is limited.”
