Fifty laptops had been distribution by AT&T and the nonprofit Human-I-T to college students and households on the YMCA of Higher Whittier on Monday, Oct. 16. (Photograph by Christina Merino, Whittier Every day Information/SCNG)
They had been pretty much as good as new.
And that was an excellent factor for grateful Whittier college students and their households, who acquired newly refurbished laptops on Monday, Oct. 16.
AT&T partnered with Human-I-T – a nonprofit group that refurbishes donated expertise to supply low-income people and nonprofits with units, web and digital coaching – to distribute 50 refurbished laptops to recipients who had been chosen by the YMCA.
The laptop computer distribution on the YMCA of Higher Whittier was a part of AT&T’s nationwide effort to shut the digital divide.
This yr in California, AT&T and Human-I-T have donated greater than 4,000 computer systems to college students and households and practically 1,000 throughout Los Angeles County, stated Carmen Cuevas, space supervisor of exterior affairs for AT&T.
“It’s been an amazing expertise having the ability to bridge the digital divide, and guaranteeing that college students and households obtain the issues they should get entry to job alternatives, studying alternatives and to attach with well being care and actually get the entry to these alternatives for fulfillment,” Cuevas stated.
The corporate says it will likely be investing $2 billion over the following three years to handle the problem for low-income People by way of low-cost broadband affords, participation within the Emergency Broadband Profit, and group funding, in response to its web site.
College students, households, group leaders, elected officers and volunteers had been in attendance on the Whittier laptop computer distribution on Monday. Along with the Dell laptops, Assemblymember Lisa Calderon, D-Whittier, additionally introduced a test with $250,000 of state funds for the YMCA.
“That is simply our manner of giving again to the group,” stated Juan Aceves, annual giving marketing campaign director at YMCA of Higher Whittier.
Aceves stated that discovering 50 households to distribute the laptops to was fast, emphasizing the necessity in the neighborhood. He was additionally grateful for Calderon’s contribution to the YMCA and stated the funds could be used to assist with renovations to the constructing.
Natalia Rodriguez was one of many college students who acquired a brand new laptop computer. She is in seventh grade at Katherine Edwards Center Faculty in Whittier and stated the laptop computer would assist when doing homework. She additionally participates within the YMCA’s swim staff.
“It’s tremendous useful, we’re already completely satisfied to contribute our dues to the Y for the aquatics staff, so for us to have this little further to assist her, could be very useful,” stated her mom, Victoria. “As a result of they’ve a school-issued iPad, however nothing can exchange having the ability to have a full-size pc.”
