Are you frustrated with your computer? Can’t get it to do what you want? A free computer help class is available every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon at Glas Coffeehouse in Shawano.
“Anybody who comes in, we fix their computer for free,” said Bruce Starszak, one of the four men offering the service. “We have repaired over 2,100 free of charge.”
Nine years ago, he saw an ad offering to help people with their computers. The service was based at Shawano County Human Services Department, and then moved to the coffeehouse at 511 N. Main St. The coffeehouse provides its conference room free of charge, and Cellcom provides Wi-Fi.
“All ages come to it,” said Dan LaCoosse, who helps along with William Taylor and Jacob Benishek.
The questions people have vary, such as how to start their computer, make a spreadsheet, install a program, get on the Internet, use email and transfer pictures from a camera to a laptop.
The workers explain things in easy to understand terms. They will follow up to make sure everything is understood and working.
They have also donated close to 300 computers to people who can’t afford them.
LaCoosse has been helping for seven years and has been learning himself.
“I started going and helping people and to learn something new,” he said.
He likes taking apart a computer, fixing it and putting it back together.
“I’m more into building and replacing parts,” LaCoosse said. “I can get ones that aren’t working to work again.”
The group accepts old, unwanted computers for parts. If old computers are repairable, the workers wipe the hard drive clean, install new software and then donate them.
Starszak also tries to help people avoid getting ripped off by Internet scams.
“We try to educate people what to watch out for,” he said.
For information on the free computer help class, call 920-993-9002.
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