Volunteer

Please use the attached forms to volunteer at Motor City Free Geek.

Build Program

At Motor City Free Geek you can learn to build computers. We will teach you the process if you agree to build at least five computers. These are then made available to volunteers in the Adoption Program, nonprofit organizations, and thrift stores.

This is an excellent way for you to gain a practical understanding of computers and their components. After you’ve successfully built five computers, you may keep the sixth.

Adoption Program

Motor City Free Geek takes in donated computers and Build Program volunteers refurbish them with care. Some of these computers are then “adopted out” in exchange for 24 hours of volunteer service in our recycling facility. This is called the Adoption Program. The computer systems, called FreeBoxes, are loaded with the Ubuntu Linux operating system and other free and open source software.

Internship Program

At Motor City Free Geek there are, from time to time, opportunities for interns. Participating in this program can help you beef up your resumé by documenting employment readiness, special skills, or meet a school requirement for community service experience. An intern is someone who volunteers his or her time according to a set schedule for a predetermined length of time.  We depend on and appreciate interns a lot.

Because the environment at Motor City Free Geek is ever changing and can sometimes even be chaotic, we look for interns who are self-sufficient yet able to function well as a member of a team, inspired to strike out on their own, and interested in Motor City Free Geek and its philosophy and mission.

To register for this program, contact the Internship Program coordinator who will ask you to fill out an application and schedule an interview.

Operations Program

Occasionally there is an opportunity for an experienced volunteer to work with our core team and help keep Motor City Free Geek humming.

Skills in the areas of instruction, lesson plan development, process engineering, accounting, office management, communications, public relations, grant writing, event planning, and cat herding could all be helpful. Someone with a positive attitude who is able to commit to be available on a regular basis would be especially welcome to join us in this important work - a great resumé item!

If you’re taking part in AmeriCorps VISTA or a similar program you might be eligible for a stipend and other benefits.

Please contact the Operations Program coordinator to discuss available opportunities.

Online Volunteer

If you'd like to help, but you already have a busy schedule, consider joining us as an online volunteer. You could help with any activity that doesn't require you to be physically present in the Free Geek office. Write a story for the newsletter, work with the webmaster, develop instruction support materials, etc. Best of all, you can do it at your own desk.