About Us

What Is Free IT Athens?

Free IT Athens (FRITA) is a group of like-minded citizens who realize that computers are a necessary component of everyday life. We believe that everyone deserves access to low-cost computer equipment and computer-related services. Our goal is to provide access to information technology resources to Athens-Clarke County residents and organizations. We also aim to create well informed advocates in free software and open information technology.

Free IT Athens aims to increase the availability of free and open information technology and provide individuals with the experience and knowledge necessary to become both comfortable with information technology and proficient in its usage. We seek to ensure that all people in the Athens -Clarke County area have a friend that knows about technology and that information technology is free and/ or open.

History & Impact

Free IT Athens was founded in the autumn of 2005 by Michael Luchtan, Michael Moore, and Semmy Purewal. Since its inception, Free IT Athens has provided over 1,000 computers to individuals, over 200 computers to over two dozen community groups, and has responsibly recycled many tons of unusable equipment. In 2011, more than 370 volunteers contributed over 3,500 hours of community service, over 1,000 individuals were served, and over 18,000 pounds of unusable computer parts and accessories were saved from ending up in a landfill.

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