Now, Purple Elephant operates out of a huge warehouse space that is packed wall to wall with donated computers. Most of the computers will be refurbished. Those that are unsalvageable are broken down and recycled, with some parts going to enhance the rest of Purple Elephant’s stock. Each computer, typically a Pentium 3, is fully loaded with the Windows operating system and free, open source Open Office Suite.

Since 2004, Purple Elephant has provided computers to more than 1,100 kids and organizations in 29 North Carolina towns. Dave also provided computers to shelters after Katrina that were used to help people locate and communicate with their relatives. Some Purple Elephant computers have even made it to Central America and the Democratic Republic of Congo. All of this has been done through volunteer time and effort; there are no paid staff.

Before Dave got them, many of these computers were bound for landfills, where they could have released toxic substances into the environment. By refurbishing them (based on EPA’s Environmental Benefits Calculator), Purple Elephant has prevented 24,000 pounds of hazardous waste and 61,000 pounds of solid waste from entering the environment, kept 140,000 gallons of water from being polluted, and 1 million pounds of CO2 from being emitted, and saved 6 million kilowatts of energy. Dave says, “If discarded computers pollute, why not refurbish them and use them to educate our youth?”

The desktops are offered to families and educational programs for a fee of $15 to $100, based on financial need. The fee is necessary to help pay for software and hardware enhancements, but also to promote a sense of ownership. Purple Elephant computer systems include the operating system, common office and educational software, Internet access capability, a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

“The $100 laptop is a great idea,” Dave says, referring to a much-hyped MIT program to provide computers to kids around the world that is still in its trial phase. “But we can provide a $100 desktop right now.”

Dave doesn’t think that computers are a magic bullet in education, but he has seen that the Digital Divide is real, and believes that computers for all children is one requirement for truly leaving no child behind. He speaks about the “silent epidemic,” of more than 1 million American high school students dropping out every year (that’s 6,000 students per day) and how any additional resources given to those kids might make a difference.

A Purple Elephant brochure tells some compelling stories that highlight the need and the benefit kids get from these computers:

“A child is ashamed to turn in homework because it has not been typed like the “other kids’” homework. Now, she has a Purple Elephant computer and can type her homework.”

“A 13-year-old girl has access to Purple Elephant computers until she leaves her foster home in N.C. She will stay in foster care until she can rejoin her father…when he is released from prison.”

“A grandmother thanks us for the computer…she is raising 4 grandchildren alone.”

“A single mom has two children of her own, but requests a computer for the two foster kid living with her. They are her younger brothers.”

So far, the organization has provided computers to students at middle schools, Katrina relief efforts, kids moving into Habitat for Humanity homes (these kids actually attended a camp where they refurbished their own computers), a center to decrease gang activity, a daycare/after-school program, families affected by Katrina that relocated to Raleigh, and the families of several members serving overseas in the National Guard, to help them connect with each other and with others going through the same situation.

But the organization, like many similar groups with their noses to the grindstone and not to the fundraising machine, is struggling. They have a waiting list for the computers, tons of computers that need to be fixed, tons of waste that could be diverted from landfills and put to good use, and not enough manpower or resources to do it all.

But Dave’s keeping at it. He’ll tell you that he’s only played one round of golf in his life — so as he nears his 70th birthday, he’s decided to bridge the digital divide instead through Purple Elephant. For North Carolina, Dave wishes “A Mouse in Every House”.