By Steve Stone

In these days of modern technology, the $600 computer, and library access to the Internet, you would think everyone has a fair chance, but that is not always the case. Many people still cannot afford their own computer. Students and kids are hit hard by this problem, making them fall behind everyone else in school simply because of lack of a computer. Contrary to middle class belief, there are hundreds of thousands of kids in North Carolina who have no access to computers, and even more with no access to the Internet, even today.

One place working to solve this problem is Purple Elephant Computer Factory. Purple Elephant, a Microsoft licensed computer remanufacturer is more than just a computer supplier. Purple Elephant is a place that cares about people. While most rebuilding companies take old computers, rebuild them, and sell them at a profit, Purple Elephant sells them at a price based on need. They have complete systems from $99, all equipped with XP Pro and Microsoft licensed software.

While such a low cost system might be newsworthy, the truth is, the computers are only part of what Purple Elephant does. Their main difference is the people. People like Ray Tamar, the quality control manager. Ray was injured just months before retiring at IBM, and while he was treated well by the company, his disability meant he could never work full time again. With an IT background and Cisco certification, Ray got job offers, but nothing required less than 50 hours a week. Even now, eight years later, he cannot work those long hours without severe pain. He hired-on at Purple Elephant just over a year ago, and now he works just about 20 hours a week, his maximum. “It’s a blessing,” Ray says, “I love my job.”

Many of the employees

are brought in through the Senior Community Service Employment Program. This program is for people 56 years of age and older, and requires the company train them in a marketable job skill. Purple Elephant does that happily. “We pair them with someone experienced and make a mentoring program,” says Dave Hinton, director of Purple Elephant. And it works. Some only work for them a short time, and move on to other jobs, while others become part of their ‘family’.

And their family cares about others, too. Take Sherlene Parker; she, along with Angela and Carolyn Nelson run Divine Intervention Aftercare Network. The small nonprofit is designed to help recently released convicted felons leave behind their old life and start a new one. Sherlene, an ex-offender herself, knows how to spot the ones trying to “get out from under their past.” They help people get jobs, transportation, a place to stay, and then they spend time talking through the things they are going through. Not all of the people they work with are ex-offenders; some are simply families in need. In Greenville, they put up a family in a hotel for a month while they tried to find a home.  They replaced a water heater for another and manage to find several people jobs, even in this economy. So far, all of their work has been with money out of their own pockets.

Mary Spencer, like Ray, had an injury that destroyed her old life. She stayed home and lived with the pain until someone bought her a Purple Elephant computer. Her friend had her call and talk to Dave, and after about a month Mary came in. Now she does sales, answers phones, keeps repairs going and customers calm. “I’m a different person here,” Mary says. “Even my doctor commented on the difference.”  Mary’s joy is to see people who were sure they could not afford a computer matched up with the right system. “I love to see their faces. The couple earlier got a computer, and they couldn’t wait to get it home.”

Even the computers themselves are about the people. Purple Elephant works with other organizations and helps provide computers in unique ways. Operation Homelink, run by Dan Shannon, provides computers to enlisted families so they can communicate with their family members overseas. Purple Elephant is their rebuilder on the east coast. Dan provides them with old machines, and Purple Elephant rebuilds them, giving back some and keeping some for sales on the floor to pay their expenses. So far they have made 100 computers for families at Camp Lejeune, 100 for Fort Bragg, and 150 computers have gone to N.C. National Guard families.

In Raleigh’s Walnut Terrace Park, Jewell Morgan runs an after school program for kids. After spending five years searching for funding, her program is just starting. She has a place for kids in the low income area set up with 20 computers, and hopes to make two more areas in the near future. One will be near Rolesville. Her locations use Purple Elephant computers.

Other programs like Wake County’s Middle Class Express, and e-NC, along with private programs and charities often come to Purple Elephant and end up overjoyed with the low cost computers.

But not everything is beautiful with Purple Elephant. They, like all of us, still have bills to pay. They share rent for their store-front at Plantation Square in North Raleigh. They do have free warehouse space provided by Goodwill Community Foundation, but that is only until March 2011. Aside from all of that, they still need to pay all the expenses of power, shipping costs, and dozens of other operating costs, including their payroll.

What can we do to help? Buy their low cost computers for a start. The money for computer sales is their bread and butter. They sell “mini-grants” which are basically $25 gift certificates you can give kids towards their own computer. Four mini-grants pay for a basic machine (except the tax). Their main fund raiser is a yearly “Stampede,” which is a walk for their charity. They are a federally recognized non-profit, so you can make direct tax deductible donations to them as well.

And if you have no money, how can you help? Dig out that old computer you don’t use any more and bring it to them; or better yet, get the company you work for to donate their old ones when they update. Bringing in computers to sell is just as important as selling the ones they have. If you know of someone with warehouse space, they will need a new place after March.

White Elephants are things you can’t get rid of. Pink elephants are things you see when you are drunk. Purple Elephants are caring people doing their best.

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