Nothing is more frustrating than the spinning wheel (pictured right) or the endless
hourglass (pictured below left) popping up halfway through a project. This kind of roadblock arises all too often in the offices of Inspiration Corporation. Services to clients can be delayed due to technological difficulties. Little is more frustrating for participants and staff alike than technological failings, through no one’s fault, interfering with the provision of services, education, or assistance. Certainly, our Resource Room, open to the public for use of computers, fax machines, and printers to search for jobs, cannot run without the help of an operational server.
All computers at our multiple locations, as well as our remote desktop system run on two 6 year-old internet servers. The average lifespan of a server is only 6-7 years and soon ours will run out of warranty, making any needed repairs far more expensive. An internal server is an essential part of Inspiration Corporation’s work, as we are required to have a secure location for data related to participant files and donor support. Although overhead is perhaps not among the most exciting things we rely on; ultimately the integrity of our infrastructure is crucial to our ability to serve individuals impacted by homelessness and poverty. Every year, Inspiration Corporation assists over 2,500 individuals and families to increase their self-sufficiency and improve their lives.
With your help, we will be able to purchase a new server to be the center of our information and communication, even combining the current two systems into one that will run up to 10X faster than our current servers.
In the current climate of reduced governmental funding for social service organizations, office technology can be some of the first things to go. However, in this millennial age of technology, little progress can be done without the help of computers.