A group of people working overtime to put laptops in the hands of children in need has made the move to become an official non-profit organization.

The shift to suspend in-class instruction has meant the demand for laptops and computers skyrocketed overnight. However, many families do not have access to the technology needed for virtual instruction.

The Conception Bay Youth Seeds Initiative set out to collect and refurbish used devices so that young people who need them most are able to join their virtual classrooms.

The initiative began when Gerry Ryan of Panoptic Computer Solutions put out a call for computer donations from the community.

Jon Brown, one of the group’s directors, says they have already been able to provide over 100 computers to children in Conception Bay Centre.

In the past, the initiative accepted devices from businesses—but many of the computers were stripped of some hardware, such as their hard drives, for security reasons.

Now, under incorporation, Brown says they will be able to accept monetary donations and use the funds to purchase some of the missing parts and get computers to students who need them.

To get in touch with the Conception Bay Youth Seeds Initiative, email: cbseedsyouth@gmail.com