Our Mission

Empower Up is a non-profit organization that provides computers, education, job skills training and access to the Internet to those in need by reusing and marketing computers diverted from the waste stream.


Board of Directors

  • Trica Morris
    Board President, Treasurer
    Schiller & Co. P.C.

  • Bill Dudley
    Board Vice-President
    Landerholm, Memovich, Lansverk & Whitesides, P.S.

  • Tanya Gray
    Board Secretary
    City of Vancouver Solid Waste

  • Jim Lucey
    Board Member
    Linear Technologies

  • Steve Rusk
    Board Member
    The Salvation Army

  • Lisa Schmidt
    Board Member
    Marketing Matters

Advisors

  • Terra Heilman
    Waste Connections, Inc.

  • Jim Mansfield
    Clark County Environmental Services

Staff

  • Shelley Caldwell
    Interim Executive Director

  • Jennifer Buschman
    Program Manager
     
  • Jhasen Cooper
    Program Manager
     
  • Gerald "Jerry" Hatcher
    Program Manager
     

Media Kit

Media articles, press releases and other information for journalists and educators are available via our online Media Kit.


The History of Empower Up

Empower Up was founded in 2003 as a partnership between Clark County and the City of Vancouver to deal with the growing electronic waste problem in the region. The two local governments teamed up with Clark College, The Columbia Resource Company (Waste Connections, Inc.), the Salvation Army and the Clark County Sheriff's Office to form a partnership to collect, recycle and reuse computers in Clark County.

The program was named CREAM (Computer REuse And Marketing) and beginning in January 2003, the program established permanent collection sites for e-waste within the county and a number of mobile collection events were held each year in various locations. From 2003 to 2008 the CREAM program distributed over 250 computer systems to families in need and diverted over 3.5 million pounds of electronic waste from the landfill.

In 2009, CREAM became an independent non-profit organization. In April 2010, the organization adopted its new name: Empower Up and the new tagline: Technology Reuse In Action.


Program Stats

Since starting operations in 2009, Empower Up has received tens of thousands donated electronics items from thousands of individuals, small businesses and non-profits. All of the computers and electronics we receive each year are refurbished by our many volunteers. Empower Up volunteers have recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds of e-scrap. Learn more...



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