Net Literacy’s digital literacy corps has repurposed 10,000 computers during the last couple of years. We receive many notes of thanks from the organizations that receive the computers, and occasionally, it puts everything into perspective to understand how a computer can impact the life and success of a youth.
This email was sent by an elementary guidance counselor to a group of students that serve as Net Literacy volunteers and are working on a special initiative that obtains used computers from businesses, repurposes them, installs new software, and donates computers to schools.
Recently you worked on a computer that was to be given to a family in need.
Recently I was contacted by a mother who was in need.
She shared her story, and meanwhile, you worked away at a computer’s part, pieces, programs.
Her son, a fifth grader is teased a lot. He is a lot taller than the other boys and weighs a lot more. He has wildly curly hair, and even though he is really smart, when he says things out loud sometimes his voice sounds kinda gurgled, maybe it’s his nerves. His parents are divorced and it is not a pretty one. They fight-a lot! Not very civil, so sharing something is out of the question (like a computer). He also receives free or reduced lunch, which means money is extremely limited for his family. If he receives a simple assignment like, “tonight, go on the class website and get on spelling city. Print off at least one of the word scrabbles to share with your group tomorrow,” his mind has to go in over drive. Whose house am I at? If I am at Mom’s, there’s no computer, let alone internet, so we will have to go the library. Depending on what time Mom gets home from work and they have dinner and clean up, he then has to get the family to drive him to library and pay to have a page printed off. (that’s if there is even time left in the night to get there after the evening stuff required!) His mom called me to see if I knew of any way I could help. How many people need help like that?! Well, through the school district, I found Net Literacy, and learned that our high school had a Net Literacy chapter, and that’s how I found all of you!! And then, the 2 stories became one! and the people making this computer were able to create a huuuuuge relief for one kid who just wants to be as regular as possible. On his behalf, THANK YOU for taking your time to lovingly put this thing together. His eyes were like saucers!!
The school counselor
