Old tech gives life to new opportunities
When technology begins to age, the instinct of many is to just get rid of it and while recycling may be a better choice than simply tossing it into the garbage, that old equipment could instead be used to bring new opportunities to those who have served.
Heroes Deserve Help is a nonprofit with a mission of “Empowering veterans through technology” and donations of used and unwanted electronics are the lifeblood of the organization. Started in 2014 in San Dimas, California, this nonprofit refurbishes older technology that is then given, free of charge, to veterans to assist with their education or entrepreneurial goals. The organization was brought to town by its founder, Nathaniel Miller, when he moved to the area in 2021 and since then, Heroes Deserve Help has been establishing partnerships and collecting regular donations in the Pahrump Valley. Among the partnerships it has formed is with Nye County, which, for the second year in a row, recently gifted Heroes Deserve Help with an assortment of its outdated equipment.
“The county was generous in another technology and e-waste donation to our veterans’ nonprofit,” Miller told the Pahrump Valley Times on Wednesday, Sept. 30, adding, “They donated four pallets!”
Miller was obviously excited by the truck-load of tech received and said some of these items will be put to use right away. A portion of the donation, however, will be kept in reserve for a very special future purpose.
“We are putting some of this technology aside for when the new Veterans Community Resources of Nye County – Veterans Resource Center is open,” he explained, referring to a community initiative that is currently underway to create something of a one-stop shop for local veterans and their families.
Heroes Deserve Help accepts computers, computer parts, monitors, keyboards, mice, networking equipment, printers, cell phones, tables, office phones and systems, wire and cabling, toner, ink jet cartridges and most other electronics. The organization does not accept microwaves, light bulbs, appliances, household batteries or televisions.
For more information or to arrange a donation, call 775-505-7042 or email Contact@HeroesDeserveHelp.org
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
