Spring women refurbish old computers and donate to students

SPRING, Texas (KTRK) — The need for computers this school year is underscored by the fact that so many students and parents are having to navigate virtual learning.

That’s why a mom from Spring is determined to refurbish as many used computers as possible and get them into the hands of those who need them.

“I think that education is the great equalizer and a big part of education these days is technology,” said Darla Purce.

The idea started after Purce’s neighbor came over with his used desktop computer and offered it to her son, Mikey, who didn’t need it.

Purce, who started out teaching herself about computers, wiped the memory and fixed up the machine before posting it online.

“I put it on Nextdoor to see if anybody needed one and the response was immense,” she said.

From there, she put out the call for more donated computers, and the machines started to show up.

She estimates she has about 30 she is working to get through. Some will eventually go to a new home and others that are too old or too damaged will have to be recycled.

Word about her work began to spread, and soon she received an offer for some help from Yaritza Garcia, who currently is a support tech lead at Klein Forest High School and a part-time professor at Houston Community College where she teaches about, you guessed it, computers.

“I think it’s imperative that kids have the necessary tools to provide proper education at home because education is not a privilege, it’s a right,” she said.

Purce is now hoping to find more homes for the refurbished computers and says both adults and kids in need should contact her.

She is also wanting to connect with a company that recycles electronics so she can safely dispose of some of the damaged goods.

Purce can be reached at darladpurce@gmail.com. She is also still accepting used desktop computers and laptops.