'A Godsend': Nonprofit Helps Those Unable To Afford Computers
DENVER (CBS4) – A large donation was recently given to a group that helps out Coloradans that may not have access to their own computer and a dedicated connection to the internet.
OppenheimerFunds donated some of their company's equipment to PCs for People so they can take it and safely refurbishing it.
"I needed a computer," said Tobias Lofton. "Well everyone needs a computer nowadays, right?"
Lofton moved to Denver last year and was living in a shelter. He hoped to find a permanent home and a better job working with computers. But without his own laptop he depended on the library to get through the certifications needed for a career with a tech industry.
"When you think about today and what's needed to be a successful, thriving citizen, to be able to online bank, apply for jobs online, kids to do homework, the need for a computer and internet connectivity, it's almost a basic necessity," said Julie Seltz, the executive director of PCs for People in Denver. "That individuals will be able to come and get this equipment from us to continue to thriving in their lives, it will just, really make a lasting impact and difference for them."
The nonprofit organization expanded to Colorado in 2015. It was the first move by the group outside of Minnesota. In less than three years, they have distributed 5,100 computers that have impacted 17,000 Coloradans, according to Seltz. She says each computer they sell at a discounted price can help 3.3 family members with 2.2 kids at that home. These families often have an annual income of $16,000 to $18,000. Sixty percent of computer recipients are getting their first computer ever at home.
"Everything that is done academically now is done through computers and technology," said Mona Breed, Senior Vice President of Infrastructure for OppenheimerFunds. She oversaw the collection and donation of equipment to PCs for People in Denver.
"It's really hard to be competitive, it's really hard to keep up if you don't have access to that technology."
The equipment donated are computers that are no longer useful to the company but individual users or families could still make good use of at home. It's a move that fits into the company's goal of reaching 10,000 youth with math literacy by 2020. In the past, the company wasn't able to find a partner to ensure a secure transfer of the equipment. PCs for People is the first organization to meet the standards needed to make sure all of their technology is cleared and ready for a new owner.
"The hope here is that we can really bring more people access to technology and overall that will have an enormous impact," said Breed. "This is another avenue for us to give back to the community."
In order to accommodate the requirements of OppenheimerFunds, PCs for People maintains Department of Defense certification for data whipping and is a Microsoft registered refurbisher providing Windows 10 on many of its products. Any computers or laptops they cannot pass on, they are certified by R2 to dispose of that equipment in an environmentally friendly method.
"They're offloading about ,1500 computers over this next year," Seltz said of the recent donation. "Considering the statistics of how many people that will impact, it will be a huge impact on Coloradans."
Coloradans like Lofton that had a minimum wage job in Denver while trying to complete Network Plus and Security Plus training at the library. He searched online for affordable options and found PCs for People. He thought the promise of a laptop with all of the specifications he needed at price within his budget was too good to be true.
"I didn't have that much money, I was trying to save money so I could get permanent housing, and it was really a godsend," he said. "It was really what I needed at the time that I needed it, and I don't think, I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for PCs for People."
Lofton said trying to do the research he needed while living in a shelter was difficult and improving his economic situation was even more challenging when he was just trying to make it from day to day. The laptop and the training he completed on it helped him land a contract job and afford a place to live in Boulder.
"It makes research really hard, especially when you're out on the streets, and you're trying to find a way out," he said. "It gives me hope, hope for all of us."
Lofton says PCs for People has restored his faith in others and that he hopes more people learn about the service PCs for People provide to the public.
"I'm really happy that there are people that exist in our world, especially in today's day and age," he said. "That have dedicated their lives to making sure that other people can have successful lives."
He hopes that anyone else without a computer at the moment will learn from his story and find the motivation needed to improve their situation.
"There are options out there for you if you're willing to go out there and find them and there are people out there that are willing to help you," Lofton said. "No matter how many times you fail or you think this might be end, that it's not the end."
Shawn Chitnis reports for CBS4 News at 10 on weekends and CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. throughout the week. Email him story ideas at smchitnis@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.
