San Diego, Calif., (November 28, 2017) – In support of #GivingTuesday, ecoATM Gazelle kicks off a donation partnership today with PowerOn, which will provide housing-insecure LGBTQ youth with the technology they need to access crucial online resources.
PowerOn works nationally to upcycle lightly used donated technology from individuals and companies, beginning with a certified wipe[1] of all devices, followed by complete refurbishment and distribution to homeless and housing-insecure LGBTQ youth through a network of partner LGBTQ community centers and homeless shelters. Gazelle, a leading trade-in site for consumer electronics and reseller of certified pre-owned devices, will contribute to the PowerOn program by donating a portion of its inventory directly to the PowerOn network. To begin the partnership, Gazelle will donate 20 iPhone 5s smartphones that will be distributed to PowerOn’s partner centers.
“We are very excited to give back to the community by working with PowerOn to donate devices from our Gazelle Direct Store. These devices are a lifeline for LGBTQ youth, helping to keep them safe and connect them with important resources they may otherwise not have access to,” said Yanyan Ji, SVP, Marketing at ecoATM Gazelle.
Each night as many as 1.5 million children and teens sleep on America’s streets. Over 40 percent of these homeless youth identify as LGBTQ, which is equivalent to the metropolitan Baltimore population of about 650,000 people. Many LGBTQ youth find themselves in homeless or housing-insecure situations after family conflicts over sexual orientation or gender identity. Technology is important for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth to stay connected with supportive networks and improve their personal safety. Phones and other devices often provide one of the only LGBTQ-safe and affirming access points to the Internet.
“For our at-risk LGBTQ youth, a phone is much more than a convenient tool; it is a lifeline,” said Christopher Wood, Executive Director of LGBT Technology Institute, one of the partner organizations that operates PowerOn. “With over 650,000 housing-insecure LGBTQ youth on our streets, the devices donated by ecoATM Gazelle ensure a connection to the services, tools, resources, and supportive networks that help them through each and every day. We are thrilled to partner with ecoATM Gazelle and look forward to making a difference for LGBTQ youth one device at a time.”
PowerOn will have six fully operational PowerOn program partner locations by the end of 2017 with another 12 to 15 expected to launch in 2018. Partnerships are an important part of PowerOn’s ability to expand rapidly after several years of exploring the value of technology for the youth it serves.
About PowerOn:
PowerOn seeks to empower homeless and housing-insecure youth by providing the hardware to get online, and accomplishes this by working directly with LGBTQ exclusive or supportive homeless shelters, LGBTQ centers, or other supportive organizations working with homeless LGBTQ youth. PowerOn is nationally operated by LGBT Technology Institute, Straight But Not Narrow, human-I-T and The Trevor Project. Learn more about the PowerOn program at https://www.poweronlgbt.org.
About ecoATM Gazelle:
ecoATM Gazelle is the company behind Gazelle.com and ecoATM kiosks, and the pioneer of reCommerce. ecoATM Gazelle puts used electronics back to work with easy and convenient ways for consumers to earn money for old smartphones, tablets, and PCs. ecoATM Gazelle pays for old devices and prepares them for their next stage - refurbished for resale or recycled - helping divert millions of smartphones and tablets from landfills.
ecoATM Gazelle offers an easy way for consumers to purchase certified pre-owned electronics and two easy and convenient ways for consumers to earn money for old smartphones, tablets, and PCs: through the Gazelle.com online marketplace or at the many ecoATM machines in malls and retail locations across the country. Learn more about ecoATM Gazelle at www.ecoatm.com and www.gazelle.com.
[1] Compliant with NIST 800-88 4 and 800-14 specification. Data destruction methods are compliant with HIPAA, US Dept. of Defense 5220.22 M, US Army AR380-19, US Air Force 502, German VIST, Russian GOST p50739-9, Canadian OPS-II, HMG IS5 Baseline/Enhanced, Navso P-5329-26, NCSC-TG-025 & NSA 130-2, NIST 800-88.