(Photo Credit: Supplied, Bethany Loates)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Project Joy

Donate your gently used electronic devices to help connect local seniors

Dec 14, 2020 | 10:59 AM

A device drive is now underway in Red Deer to get gently-used smartphones and tablets into the hands of long-term care facilities so that isolated seniors can connect virtually with loved-ones over the holidays.

Project Joy, an organization founded at the onset of the pandemic to provide connected devices to senior facilities, is asking Red Deer residents to drop off old tablets and smartphones at London Drugs before December 23.

The devices will be sanitized, cleared of all personal data, refurbished, and then provided to care homes with step-by-step guides for staff to help residents have virtual visits with family over the holidays.

“That old smartphone sitting in your drawer at home or that previous generation tablet you kept when you upgraded, could be put to critical use, offering virtual visits from family to seniors in our province after months of isolation and loneliness,” says Emily Jenks, Founder of Project Joy.

Since quarantine measures first came into effect at care facilities throughout the province, Project Joy received requests from all over Alberta, with many care providers now on the waiting list to receive devices for their residents.

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Devices can be dropped off at any London Drugs location in Alberta at the Tech Department.

The following devices are being accepted for donation to Project Joy:

Apple iPad/iPhone

• iPhone 5 or newer
• iPad Gen 3 or newer
• Must be unlinked from Apple ID and iCloud Account and reset to factory settings
• Remove protective case
• Charger included if possible

• Android Phone/Tablet
  • Age 4 years or newer
  • Must be unlinked from any management account and reset to factory settings
  • Remove protective case
  • Charger included if possible.

Laptops, since they are more difficult to sanitize, are not being accepted as part of the device drive.

London Drugs Service Technicians will conduct a complete data wipe prior to it being restored and made ready for use by a care facility.