"Find A Computer A Home": How to Get Your Free Computer


Our Policy

The only requirements for obtaining a used, refurbished computer from us are that you live in the Greater Victoria area, you find yourself in the position of not being able to afford your own computer and you are attempting to actively contribute to your community. You may still contact us if your financial situation is better than this - we would then expect a donation of about $40 to offset the minimal costs of running our small volunteer operation. Most of our costs are vehicle running costs associated with deliveries and pick-ups.

Due to time, distance and the costs associated with deliveries we are unfortunately only able to deliver computers within the Greater Victoria area out as far as Central Saanich and Metchosin. However, we can still provide you with a computer if you are able to pick up and set up the computer yourself, or with the aid of a computer savvy friend.

Once you have your computer from FACAH please note that we are presently unable to offer a help-desk telephone response service concerning questions about how to use your operating system or software. We are also unable to assist you with problems caused by an attempt to install a different operating system on the computer. However, we will replace or repair faulty hardware. See the Help section.

Please note that if you find yourself "between the cracks", in other words, you feel you can actually afford to spend about $100 for a computer, then you are advised to check either Used Victoria or CraigsList because there you can often find a really nice 3-6 year old computer system (including monitor) for less than $100. We would then advise you to install Ubuntu Linux on such a machine, rather than try to clean up the mess that is often Windows XP. Ubuntu can be downloaded and then burned to a CD.

How to Obtain your Free Computer

If your situation fits our policy guidelines above then please contact Larry (details below). We will inquire about your situation and requirements and then will place you on our list. Our normal lead time for delivery and setup of a computer to your home is anywhere from 2-6 weeks, depending on how busy we are.

We will need to know:

  • how you heard about us
  • your financial situation
  • your name, contact and address details
  • what exactly you will be using the computer for
  • if you have someone that can help you when needed
  • if you have a desk or table and two plug-ins for setting up the computer and monitor
  • what hardware you already have that needs to be connected to the computer

Telephone Contact Details

Larry, telephone 250-382-1266