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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where are you located?
What kind of books do
you accept?
Where can I drop off
books?
Do you accept books
from libraries?
Do you accept
computers from businesses?
Do you accept home
computers?
How do I donate if
I'm not in your area?
Where does my money
go?
How does it work?
Can volunteers travel
to the islands to help?
Where are you located?
Island Relief is based in Crystal Lake,
Illinois, which is in the far northwest of the greater
Chicagoland metropolitan area.
What kind
of books do you accept?
We are looking for children's books (age
0 - 18) in good condition. We accept hardcover or
paperback.
Multiple copies of the same title are fine as we stock
multiple libraries.
We cannot accept damp, moldy, torn or
otherwise damaged books. For information about recycling
books
not suitable for donation, please contact
McHenry County Defenders or your local recycling facility.
Where can I
drop off books?
Individuals
wishing to donate books may drop them at our
location in
Crystal Lake.
Do you accept books from libraries?
Yes. Libraries are our primary source of
books, and we are able to accept 7,000 pounds of books at a
time.
One of our regularly occurring volunteer activities is packing
up books donated by area libraries.
Do you accept computers from
businesses?
Our most successful source of computer equipment
is companies going through hardware upgrades.
Companies can donate their used computers - functional and
otherwise. The equipment is picked up and the company
receives a recycling certificate for tax purposes.
Machines that meet our needs will be refurbished and sent to
us and if not, they will be recycled and any proceeds from the
scrap will be credited to us.
Contact
Computer Recycling Center
if your company is in located in the greater
Chicagoland area and would like to arrange an equipment
donation.
Do you accept home computers?
Yes. Both functional and non-functional
computers can be dropped off at
Computer Recycling Center
i n Crystal Lake. All
you have to do is indicate to them it is for Island Relief.
If it meets our needs it will be refurbished and sent to us
and if not, it will be recycled, and any proceeds from the
scrap will be credited to us.
How do I donate if I'm not
in your area?
It's easy to help using the Donate Now button
located on the side navigation panel. You can give a
monetary
gift of any size with a simple, secure PayPal transaction.
At this time we are not
equipped to accept shipments of donated goods from outside our
area.
Where does my money
go?
After we meet our minimal overhead
expenses, monetary donations are used to pay for things such
as shipping the goods to the islands, construction materials
for building and/or repairing the learning centers, and
furnishing the centers with desks, chairs and bookshelves.
It also helps pay for necessities such as lighting and
internet access in the learning centers.
We are also developing projects to
raise the standard of healthcare on the islands.
Once we raise enough to launch this phase, donations will be
used for medical equipment and supplies as well.
How does it work?
The basic process goes like
this:
- Books and computers are donated
from individuals, libraries and other organizations.
- Computer equipment is evaluated
and possibly refurbished by one of our sponsors.
- Donations are repackaged for
shipping and transported to
LeSaint Logisitics.
- Volunteers provide the manpower
necessary to move the materials to/from trucks and shipping
centers
in the U.S. and the islands.
- Materials are staged at the
Resource Center for organization and are then distributed to
the libraries and educational centers.
Can volunteers
travel to the islands to help?
On occasion we will take
volunteer groups to the Bahamas; at this time volunteers must
pay for their own airfare and accommodations. It is
common for volunteers to find discounted rates through the
generosity of the local people.
Volunteer work on the islands
includes:
- Unloading shipments that clear
customs into the Resource Center.
- Organizing books staged at the
Resource Center for distribution.
- Building and/or assembling
computer desks and bookshelves at library and community
center sites.
There will also be opportunities for
volunteers to meet with local government and civic groups to
gather information regarding
the needs of the local communities.
Volunteer trips will be scheduled
according to the degree of interest, government availability
and timing of shipments.
See the
News
page for scheduled events. |
