Since the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools locally, retired Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (ODCVI) teacher Peter Hislop has been accepting donated used laptops from people in the Orillia area, refurbishing them, and getting them to kids in need so that they can use them for online learning.
Hislop has more than 30 years of experience refurbishing and fixing computers. He has his own business, PHIT Computer Services, and was the computer administrator at ODCVI.
“I was heavily involved with computers for 25 years with the Simcoe County District School Board, and there were always kids in need, and it’s even worse now that everybody needs computers and families need multiple computers sometimes,” Hislop explained.
Over the last year, more than 20 computers have been donated to Hislop’s refurbishing program.
“Every computer that I get donated goes out the door pretty quickly. I usually give it a week to make sure the computer is performing properly, and then I send it out,” he said.
Hislop plans on keeping the program going for as long as there is a need.
“I’m willing to do it as long as I can get these donated computers refurbished and out the door,” he said.
“There haven’t been a lot of donations in the last couple of months, but there is a demand still.”
While there is still a demand, it’s less than what it was when the province first went into lockdown and students were taken out of school and put into virtual classrooms.
“I think the schools are doing a better job of getting computers into kid’s hands,” Hislop said.
However, there still seems to be a need for computers for students of the local adult learning centres.
Hislop says the feedback from his program has been positive, and students are thankful to receive a refurbished computer.
“I’ll get an email or hear by word of mouth that students are thankful to receive computers, which is nice,” he said.
“I just like doing community service, and this is just another way I can do that.
For those who would like to make a donation to Hislop’s program, they can contact him through his website or Facebook.
