Having served in the Army Reserves as a young American, John W. Scherer is very patriotic. To show appreciation for our government and for the troops serving overseas, John W. Scherer and his Video Professor employees are committed to providing them with support and encouragement. Below are a few examples of how John has helped.
Active-Duty Soldiers
Each active-duty U.S soldier may take advantage of receiving a free computer tutorial of their choice from John W. Scherer. There are over 35 titles to choose from, and tutorials are available for beginner, intermediate, and expert users.
Internet Café, Iraq
Because U.S. soldiers in Iraq sometimes wait in lines of 30 - 50 people just to use a computer so they can send e-mail to loved ones back home, John W. Scherer was happy to donate 30 PCs and computer tutorials to an Internet Café located in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces. This was made possible through an on-going relationship with the Habitat Thrift Store in Broomfield, Colorado.
Walter Reed Hospital
John W. Scherer donated a computer lab, complete with tutorials, to the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. This contribution is intended to give America's troops and wounded veterans the opportunity to gain new and marketable skills as they transition back to civilian life.
The Soldiers' Angels Project
The holidays can be a lonely time for American troops serving overseas, so to help ease their homesickness, John W. Scherer's employees "adopted" 43 soldiers serving in Iraq last Christmas. Each week, letters and e-mails with words of friendship, gratitude, and support were sent to these brave men and women. Care packages filled with toiletries, games, and homemade goodies were also sent off each month as an ongoing expression of support.
United States Peace Corps
The Peace Corps received a donation of 2,000 Getting Started with your PC tutorials from John W. Scherer in 2004. Today, these tutorials are accessible to Peace Corps field representatives who are stationed around the world, and they have aided in countless computer literacy projects.
"We all need to do more than put a bumper sticker on our vehicles to support our troops. They provide us the luxury of going about our daily lives in safety and without fear."
- John W. Scherer
Read an update on the impact Video Professor has made with Peace Corps Volunteers.
In addition to promoting computer literacy through donations to American troops and the Peace Corps, John W. Scherer has also supported computer literacy with the following contributions:
Chickasaw Nation, Ardmore, OK
The Oklahoma-based Chickasaw Nation computer literacy project organizes donations of refurbished computers and software to be used by Native Americans in the region. Computer literacy among the Native American population is currently less than 10%, so to help increase that percentage, John W. Scherer donated over 5,000 Getting Started with your PC lessons.
ComputerCorps, Carson City, NV
This non profit computer literacy project offers free computer classes to children and adults. John W. Scherer donated approximately 2,000 tutorials for numerous software titles to help students achieve optimal results.
Multi-Cultural Center, Green Bay, WI
The Multi-Cultural Center helps prepare individuals with office and computer skills so they are better equipped to enter the workforce. John W. Scherer has donated a variety of computer software tutorials to aid this endeavor.
Mercy Services Corporation Housing System, Seattle, WA
John W. Scherer provided over 500 tutorials to this organization in order to advance its computer literacy program. Numerous senior citizens, immigrants, and low-income families have benefited from Mercy Services' educational programs and short-term lodging.
Calvary Bible Church Computer Ministry, Boulder, CO
This ministry works with Habitat for Humanity to distribute refurbished computers to each new Habitat homeowner. John W. Scherer donates tutorials to include with each computer.
Victory Junction Gang Camp, Randleman, NC
Victory Junction is a special camp that enriches the lives of children who suffer with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. John W. Scherer has donated 60 educational computer games to the camp's computer lab.
Radio and Television News Directors Foundation, Washington, DC
John W. Scherer donated a complete Video Professor tutorial library to the annual Radio and Television News Directors Foundation auction. Its proceeds benefited scholarship programs sponsored by the foundation.
New Era Veterans, Bronx, NY
New Era provides single-room housing and vocational training to veterans who have found themselves homeless in the Bronx area. A full Video Professor tutorial library was donated by John W. Scherer to help these veterans learn the computer skills they need in order to reenter the workforce.
The Option Institute International Learning and Training Center, Sheffield, MA
This institute is dedicated to helping children and adults who are looking for hopeful solutions to special problems or difficulties. To help these individuals acquire computer skills while they overcome their personal obstacles, John W. Scherer donated several software tutorials.
Greater 1st Baptist Church, Washington, DC
When this church hosted its 1st Annual Computer Expo sponsored by IBM®, John W. Scherer was proud to donate almost 20 computer tutorials as door prizes for the event.
Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, Milwaukee, WI
This rehabilitation center gets people off of the streets by offering them food, shelter, and clothing. Computer tutorials were contributed by John W. Scherer to advance the center's educational program.
Modesto, CA
John W. Scherer donated $270,000 in Video Professor Online™ memberships to Modesto schools to help in their computer literacy efforts. To read a special story about this endeavor and the unique circumstance that brought it about, click here.
"We try and focus on charities and groups that include computer literacy in their programs."
- John W. Scherer
Computer literacy isn't the only thing on John W. Scherer's mind. He also shows his generosity through involvement with several local charities. Together with his Video Professor employees, he's been able to touch the lives of many through these Denver, Colorado organizations:
Colorado Prevention Center
The Colorado Prevention Center helps promote health by conducting clinical research and integrating scientific findings into the practice of preventive medicine. John W. Scherer donated an entire Video Professor library to the CPC‘s silent auction. Proceeds from the event support an interactive kiosk program to educate the community on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Alive at 25
Alive at 25, a product of the National Safety Council taught by the Colorado State Patrol, is a foundation dedicated to helping young drivers make good decisions behind the wheel, and ultimately save their lives. To date, the CSP has educated more than 65,000 young drivers on the hazards of youthful driving and the poor decision making that precipitates the frequent tragedies and close calls that happen all too often. John W. Scherer is a dedicated supporter of safe-driving programs such as Alive at 25 by making donations totaling $65,000 and by raising awareness.
Denver Mission Homeless Shelter
John W. Scherer and his team were determined to provide each man, woman, and child at the Denver Mission Homeless Shelter with an Easter gift this past April. Baskets were filled with stuffed animals and other goodies for children, and everyday necessities such as soap, toothbrushes, and tissues were provided in "hope totes" for adults.
The Salvation Army
Video Professor employees and John W. Scherer provided holiday gifts to over 400 children and seniors this past Christmas through the Salvation Army's Giving Tree. Blankets, clothing, books, and toys were donated to spread a little cheer to those in need.
Jeffco Action Center
This past year, John W. Scherer and his Video Professor employees were happy to contribute over 1,000 canned and boxed food goods to the Jefferson County Food Drive.
"In the often rough and tumble world of commerce, there are always resources and time to make a difference if you really want to do so."
- John W. Scherer
Each spring, John W. Scherer provides two exceptional students from his hometown's Naperville Central High School with college scholarships endowed through the Naperville Education Fund. Scherer also funds a scholarship in his name at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, his alma mater.
Celebrity Fight Night
Raising nearly $40 million in support of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute, the Celebrity Fight Night dinner has made a significant difference for the past 12 years. Wanting to show his support, John W. Scherer donated $100,000.
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Learn about John W. Scherer's donation to Modesto schools:
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