About VAPCO
A student-led nonprofit at Brentwood School, Los Angeles — dedicated to bridging the digital divide for veterans through custom-built computers and technology access.
Veterans Association Personal Computers Organization
VAPCO is a student-led nonprofit initiative at Brentwood School in Los Angeles. Our mission is to provide computers to veterans — an underserved community — by helping bridge a critical gap in access to technology. We are now in our 5th year working on this mission.
Our organization specifically focuses on serving veterans through improving access to education, job placement, and essential services through reliable technology. For many of the veterans we support, a lack of access to computers becomes a significant barrier to reintegration.
Whether it's applying for jobs, accessing VA resources, completing training programs, or staying connected with support networks — computers are an essential tool for veterans. Our initiative is designed to address this gap in a sustainable way by building and providing long-lasting computer systems that function as critical infrastructure for these individuals.
Our Core Values
Service
We believe in giving back to those who gave so much. Veterans deserve access to the same digital tools the rest of us take for granted.
Sustainability
We build computers that last — quality components, thoughtful assembly, and configurations designed for long-term reliability.
Community
Technology is most powerful when it connects people. We ensure our computers open pathways to support networks, education, and opportunity.
Eddie Orlin
From Quarantine Tinkerer to Nonprofit Founder
I've been building computers since 2020, when I was 11 years old and had plenty of time on my hands due to COVID. For as long as I can remember, I've had a knack for anything computer-related and construction-based.
Before quarantine, I spent a lot of time building custom LEGO sets with pieces from other sets, working with Raspberry Pi circuit boards, and learning how to code in Python. With the surplus of time during COVID and my interest in both building and computers, I became curious about the inner workings of computers and how I could build one on my own.
I spent the entirety of my summer in 2020 researching and teaching myself how each computer component works, how they interact with each other, and soon became a novice computer builder. I spent time disassembling and reassembling my father's computer (despite him telling me not to) and familiarized myself with each of the components beyond my online research.
Once I had returned to online school in the fall, I used money I had saved to purchase components and built my first computer. By that point, I had fallen in love with the process of building computers, perhaps almost as much as I enjoyed using them. I sold that computer for a profit and invested all of that money into my next build — each generation becoming a little more sophisticated than the last. Most recently I built a custom water-cooled computer, and I am relieved to say that it is finally finished.
A Five-Year Timeline
Help VAPCO Serve More Veterans
Every dollar donated goes directly toward computer components, assembly, and delivery for veterans in Los Angeles.