So, what actually happens to your donated iPod, once it arrives here at Music & Memory? Rest assured, it’s treated with a big dose of TLC!
Donated Apple music players of all kinds find their way to our PO Box on Long Island via iPod Donation Drives, individual gifts or collections efforts by one of our MUSIC & MEMORY® Certified Care Organizations. Some people have been inspired by viewing Alive Inside; others have heard about us through local or national media.
Once the iPods arrive, we test them to be sure they still operate properly, clean them and, yes, remove all their content. (So no need to worry⎯your musical preferences remain private and are never shared with anyone.)
The next step is to bring the iPods to our Manhattan office, where they are carefully packaged and sent to one of our non-profit MUSIC & MEMORY® Certified Care Organizations that has recently completed training, along with headphones, iTunes music cards, adapters and mini speakers. Non-profit care organizations receive a starter kit of audio equipment as part of their training; half of the iPods in each kit are donated, and the other half, purchased.
At the care setting, the iPods are loaded with personalized playlists and distributed to Music & Memory participants. We ship iPods every month to our newest Certified Care Organizations; you can be sure that your donated iPod will soon be put to good use, bringing joy to individuals via their favorite music.
As more people favor smartphones to play their own music, more iPods can be repurposed for Music & Memory. But we need your help! Every month, we train about 200 new care professionals, from all across the U.S., in our program⎯which means more individuals in care settings can listen to their own music once again. And demand is growing.
So keep those iPods coming! We always need gently used iPods and deeply appreciate your donation. Just follow the instructions here.
Founded in 2010, MUSIC & MEMORY® is a non-profit organization that brings personalized music into the lives of the elderly or infirm through digital music technology, vastly improving quality of life.
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