ABA joins effort to provide computers to low-income households
For the past three years, the ABA has partnered with PCs for People, a national nonprofit organization that works to get quality, low-cost technology into underserved communities.
As of April, the ABA has donated more than 650 computers to PCs for People, says Loren Williams, a regional account manager for the organization. PCs for People will refurbish many of these devices and provide them to individuals, families and nonprofits in need. If it can’t refurbish a computer or any of its parts, the organization will recycle them.
“If you’re a member of the ABA, you should be proud of what they’re doing,” says Williams, who attended the ABA Techshow in Chicago last month to talk about the association’s support of PCs for People. “This is one aspect of how the ABA is giving back.”
Founded in 1998, PCs for People operates in the Chicago area and 11 other locations, including Atlanta, Seattle and Philadelphia. It has distributed more than 400,000 refurbished computers and recycled more than 23 million pounds of technology.
In 2024, PCs for People collected 6.4 million pounds of electronic waste for reuse or recycling. (Photo courtesy of PCs for People)In addition to computers, PCs for People collects, refurbishes and recycles most computer-related equipment, including keyboards, printers and fax machines. It also provides low-income individuals and families with access to affordable internet and digital skills training. According to the organization’s 2024 annual report, the average annual household income for the people it helps is $16,046; 67% were unemployed; and 56% had never owned a computer before.
“We feel confident that our technical recycling is supporting a meaningful cause,” says Kevin Borek, the director of IT enterprise support at the ABA. “Knowing our donations are helping families and individuals truly means a lot to us.”
Tali Albukerk, the national administrator of ABA Free Legal Answers, helped facilitate the ABA’s partnership with PCs for People. By providing more individuals and families access to computers and the internet, Albukerk hopes to also provide more access to ABA Free Legal Answers, a virtual pro bono legal advice clinic that allows income-eligible users to ask volunteer attorneys civil legal questions.
“Being able to provide hundreds or even thousands of our used computers will really benefit their company and their users, and that in turn will benefit Free Legal Answers,” she says. “We will be able to get more people the legal advice and information that they desperately need.”
Individual lawyers and law firms also can get involved with PCs for People. If they are near one of the organization’s locations, they can qualify for free pick-up if they donate 15 or more computers, Williams says. They also can arrange to drop off their equipment.
Williams notes PCs for People follows the U.S. Department of Defense and National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines for secure data destruction. It also is AAA certified through the National Association for Information Destruction, which verifies that data destruction service providers comply with all regulations.
For more information, visit the PCs for People website.
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