ABOUT US

Turning One Person's Trash into Another's Treasure

To refurbish discarded corporate PCs, for donation to charitable organizations that are committed to providing equal access to technology.

CFCC gives new life to old computers, by loading licensed software, testing and cleaning the PCs in volunteer workshops.

CFCC supports the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by partnering to provide underprivileged people with access to information technology.

OUR MISSION

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To refurbish decommissioned corporate PCs, for donation to charitable organizations that are committed to providing equal access to technology.

CFCC gives new life to old computers, by loading licensed software, testing and cleaning the PCs in volunteer workshops.

CFCC supports the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by partnering to provide underprivileged people with access to information technology.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Engagement

Our Story

Started by three Siemens employees, with a shared passion for technology and social responsibility. Corporations for Community Connections was born in 2010, a grassroots program engaging employees and family members in a robust process to refurbish donated decommissioned corporate laptops.

Established as a registered charity in 2014, CFCC has refurbished and distributed over 5000 computers to schools, charities and people in need across Canada, Nepal, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Philippines, and Ghana。

Our Story

HOW IT BEGAN

In 2010, Philip Schaus was responsible for Siemens IT procurement in Canada. Otto Rathke worked in IT, managing hardware standards; and, Chris Campbell ran the staging lab which prepared and serviced Siemens’ computers. Philip, Otto and Chris frequently discussed PCs. They were well aware that Siemens demanded high performance from their laptops and desktops, and consequently replaced them about every 3 years.

During one of these discussions, Otto mentioned that he had been asked by someone whether it was possible to donate an old laptop. He sadly had to respond that no such process existed. Philip and Chris concurred as they both had fielded similar requests for donations. At that time, Siemens paid a scrap dealer to dispose of their old hardware.

The three of them decided to investigate why such donations were forbidden and to explore whether there was any possibility that a process could be developed to permit donations. During weekly conference calls, they created an action list and exchanged updates. Step by step they built a process that addressed all of the requirements to restore Siemens’ old PCs to a condition that was suitable for donation. With management’s blessing, the first PC Donation Workshop was held on December 5, 2010.

How It Began

The timeline

The Timeline

2010

First PC Donation Workshop

2011

Atos and Xerox joined Siemens as contributors.
The volunteer team adopted the name Corporations For Community Connections (CFCC).

2012

The CFCC’s laptop donation program was recognized by the Globe and Mail as it contributed towards a distinction of Siemens Canada as one of Canada’s Greenest companies.

2013

CFCC’s initiative received a global award for innovative solutions as Siemens IT Procurement.

2014

CFCC started working with charities across Canada and donated laptops in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.

2015

CFCC became a registered charity and provided laptops to support schools in close and far communities: schools at Pikangikum and schools in Halton District School Board in southern Ontario.

2016

More than 700 computers were refurbished by 170 volunteers and donated in support of Syrian refugees in Calgary as well as supported low-income families in Quebec.

2017

Siemens Healthineers partnered with East West Concern (P) Ltd. and EverestLink to deliver 48 refurbished Siemens laptops to a remote community mere kilometers from Mount Everest, making Shree Chheskam Nepal’s first connected public school.

2018

Siemens and CFCC together gave Hope For The Holidays to people in need. United Way, HARRRP and Oakville Community Foundation distributed 152 refurbished laptops throughout the Hamilton and Halton regions.
Honouring Indigenous Peoples (HIP) distributed 186 refurbished laptops to First Nations schools and community centers across Canada.
Siemens, WE and CFCC held a PC donation workshop at the WE Global Learning Centre. Volunteers successfully refurbished 115 laptops for WE schools in Canada and Ecuador.

2019

SIEMENS HOPE FOR HOLIDAYS 2019 - 300 laptops were successfully refurbished and distributed by The United Way to 37 charities across Hamilton and Halton.
Siemens Canada and CFCC Team Up With World Vision To Put Computers in the Kintampo Information Computer Technology Centre in Jema, Ghana. Siemens Canada generously donated 100 laptops to give 1500 students in rural Ghana their first opportunity to put their hands on a computer.
CFCC and Siemens Canada partnered with GRHCC and delivered laptops to local schools in the Philippines.

2020

CFCC Reaching Further Project - Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, CFCC teamed up with Via Rail, Smart Technology, and Siemens Canada to distribute laptops and smartboards in Windsor, London, Oakville, Peterborough, Kingston, Montreal, and Quebec City.
Virtual laptop refurbishing workshops were also introduced.

2021

Maintained virtual laptop workshops as a safety measure to limit the spread of COVID-19 virus.
CFCC successfully refurbished and delivered 55 laptops to FNTI (First Nations Technical Institute)

2022

Siemens & CFCC Laptop Workshops - Following the long periods of quarantine during the pandemic, CFCC resumed their in-person laptop workshops (while adhering to strict COVID guidelines) in partnership with HIP (Honouring Indigenous peoples) and the collaboration of Siemens Healthineers, VIA Rail Canada, and Quantum Lifecycle Partners LP.
More than 150 laptops refurbished and distributed to communities in need.

2023

Ukrainian Initiative - CFCC partnered with Fourth Wave (an international Organization for Ukrainian Communities) and L'immigrant to help distribute more than 400 refurbished laptops dedicated to Ukrainian newcomers in Canada, fleeing the war.

2024

Siemens & CFCC Laptop Workshop - During February, the two-day workshop resulted in 160 refurbished laptops which are scheduled to be distributed by United Way to communities in the Halton and Hamilton region.

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officers & Board Members

Helping everyone reach their full potential

Philip Schaus President & CEO Philip’s belief that all people should have the opportunity to reach their potential, inspired him to co-found Corporations For Community Connections in 2010. Philip retired as IT Purchasing Manager for Siemens Canada, to devote more time to CFCC’s mission. Currently residing with his wife Lori, in Kingsville Canada, he has witnessed the impact of over 5000 refurbished computers, donated by CFCC's corporate partners. Philip envisions the day when access to technology will no longer be an obstacle, rather a medium to realize the full potential of all humanity. In the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions."

Robert Dziedzic CFO Robert brings valuable experience to our board thanks to his entrepreneurial background. He has managed financial strategies for growing companies and has helped successfully scale and develop organizations. His understanding of financial management, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, supports our organization's journey in providing opportunities for individuals to reach their full potential.

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Fahir Benli COO Fahir’s passion for CFCC is boundless. He’s the “Swiss Army Knife” at laptop refurbishment workshops; Fahir can diagnose and treat seemingly any PC ailment. He’s been active in CFCC since 2012. Responsible for distribution, recovery and disposal of PCs at Siemens, he lives each day actively involved in the lifecycle of laptops. Prior to joining Siemens, Fahir was a systems engineer and procurement specialist at IBM in his native home in Turkey.

Julian Nadin Director of Corporate Relations By beginning his career in the late 70's, Julian has worked in 6 different decades! During that time, working in Aerospace and Energy engineering and, in his final decade, IT, he has seen the rise of the influence of corporate computers in industry from the very start. In recent years he was the head of IT for Siemens Energy (SE) in Canada, and the lead IT business partner for SE in North America. In this capacity he has set up numerous laptop refurbishment workshops, participated in donations and events promoting the donations. Julian retired in late 2024, and has decided to continue his work with CFCC. Initially his main goal is to use his connections within Siemens Energy to expand donations into the US

Mike Beaumier Director As a Senior Legal Counsel for Siemens Canada, Michael has worked with CFCC for years. With a commitment to CFCC's mission of providing low-income individuals with a tool to improve their future- a computer. He has worked tirelessly to ensure the quality of CFCC's offering.

Fabiola Tassy Corporate Secretary Joining CFCC’s Board in 2018 seemed a natural progression, as she continues to preserve the environment, support education and provide access to technology. Fabiola has been an active supporter of the Society of Reforestation in Haiti and the McGill Young Alumni. A member of Québec Bar Association, and Siemens Canada Legal Counsel, her experience and education include Business Development, Negotiating, Marketing, Political Science and eCommerce.

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Yasmine Eltawdy Director of Communication Passionate about public speaking, Yasmine leverages her exceptional ability to connect with people and build strong relationships with various communities who need corporate computers. She co-founded a charitable club with her friends in university, raising over $40,000 for various international causes aimed at reducing poverty and alleviating famine. Her message to people is that charity never decreases wealth.

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Josée Landriault Director of Education With 28 years of experience in education, Josée is committed to empowering students to lead a healthy, successful, and fulfilling life. Her passion extends beyond the classroom as she volunteers as a coach for the GlenEden Snoblazers Special Olympics Alpine ski team and contributes to the planning team for Wilfrid Laurier University’s Educator and Leadership Institute in Haiti (ELI Haiti). In 2018, she received the Innovator - Administrator Award at the Connect Conference for her innovative leadership.

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Rashmi Ghevariya Controller Rashmi is a seasoned accounting professional with over 10 years of experience in accounting and finance. She is currently working as a Senior Accountant at Cronos Growing Company. A Chartered Accountant from India, Rashmi is also pursuing her CPA Canada certification to further enhance her professional credentials. Rashmi will bring her extensive expertise in accounting and finance to manage and maintain the organization’s books of accounts. Passionate about contributing to the community, she is excited to use her skills to support CFCC’s mission and drive positive change.

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Officers & Board Members

Hassan Khan VP Strategic Development Hassan comes with 25 years of industry experience and is Siemens' Head of Technical & User Support for North America supporting approximately a user base of 10,000 employees. Among his various personal achievements he has ran multiple half marathons and hiked Half Dome at Yosemite. He's been recently awarded the T-Mobile Unconventional Award 2024 under Innovation in Employee Enablement.

Drake Paben VP and Managing Director Drake is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and the Technische Universität Braunschweig. He is currently the Chief Procurement Officer for Siemens Digital Industries Software. In this role Drake is responsible for over $1 Billion of purchasing volume in a fast-growing business. Drake started his Siemens career with the Global Procurement group based in Munich, Germany and has also held various positions with Siemens in the USA including Supply Chain Consulting, Global Shared Services, Siemens Wind Power and Siemens Corporate IT Procurement.

Julian Nadin VP of Operations By beginning his career in the late 70's, Julian has worked in 6 different decades! During that time, working in Aerospace and Energy engineering and, in his final decade, IT, he has seen the rise of the influence of corporate computers in industry from the very start. In recent years he was the head of IT for Siemens Energy (SE) in Canada, and the lead IT business partner for SE in North America. In this capacity he has set up numerous laptop refurbishment workshops, participated in donations and events promoting the donations. Julian retired in late 2024, and has decided to continue his work with CFCC. Initially his main goal is to use his connections within Siemens Energy to expand donations into the US