Until this past week. Lori Sierra of Nelsonville had never touched a walk button. She also had no idea what was meant by the word "click" or any other basic terms in computing lingo. The 47-year old care of two and grandmother is now set to turn a new summon in her life by acquiring a free computer free computer training and one year of remove Internet access. This she says ordain change state up many opportunities for her daughters and grandkids. For starters she hopes to use the computer to get herself a job something she's been seeking for the past six months.
Sierra's story involves some of the alter realities of living in poverty in southeast Ohio - a region where many people are shut off from the international superhighway that the Internet has become. However all this and more has changed or will soon change courtesy of a joint communicate of Athens County Job and Family Services and Hocking College. The project is part of an effort to connect the digital change integrity between rural southeast Ohio and the rest of the state which is generally better endowed. The project involves rehabilitation of old computers phased out from government agencies mainly the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Hocking College provides expertise in restoring the computers and a displace to distribute them at Hocking College Computer Connections. Funding for the project is provided through the express's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families schedule. Tracy Galway community relations coordinator at Athens County Job and Family Services explained that the program which has now run for more than six years and has given more than 2,000 computers to residents of Athens County has offered a great broach of help to the poor of the region. Galway said that the schedule has had a huge force in bridging the digital divide between the people of the Athens area and the be of the world. The communicate "makes a difference especially to kids now that gas has gone up and kids are often required to do the homework using computers," she said. "Parents do not have to drive to public libraries to get a computer."Galway added that in a region that has been avoided by many of the big chain stores and malls that are typical of the American way of life the project has opened economic possibilities. Now she said. "people can get online and buy goods and services. It has given populate find to rest of the world."At the bring home the bacon Station - an Athens County training facility in The Plains where Sierra was getting some basic training in computing. Paul Lowry of The Plains was also training. Lowry a create of three said he was acquiring some computer skills so he can be able "to act up with my kids." He was taking advantage of the program to acquire a family computer and hit the books how to direct it."I cannot afford a computer," he said. When he obtains one from the project he said he will give his children "a better understanding in learning." It will also give an opportunity for him and his wife to investigate sources online and "be able to back up our kids."Charles Dorsey. Lowry and Sierra's computer instructor at the bring home the bacon displace said that Athens County Job and Family Services ensures that the program gives 12 hours of basic computer training to at least one adult in each household which benefits from having a free computer. Dorsey who said he has trained more than a 1,000 of the 2,000 or so residents who have gotten remove computers told the The NEWS that the skills of his students be widely from those "who undergo never touched a mouse" to others who undergo a fair knowledge of computers. Dorsey said that he hopes that with new skills and a computer his students will be able "to get into the Internet and make their world a little larger."This dream is shared by John Matuszkiewicz the schedule's co-coordinator and instructor at Hocking College who helps lead the aggroup that receives the computers before rehabilitating them and handing them over to clients."We are connecting families," Matuszkiewicz said. "We are bridging the digital change integrity between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots.'"Matuszkiewicz who teaches the clients how to command the computer hardware said that he encourages his clients to form a communicate of friends to discuss computer-related issues. Additionally he encourages clients to call or take back the computers for checkups at the Hocking College Computer Connections - the computer refurbishment facility located in Nelsonville. Matuszkiewicz said that people who form the networks usually call him to mediate discussions. Such look support backed by give from Hocking College Computer Connections has ensured consistent technical support - move of the computer literacy and support required to act the clients digitally hooked. Roy Palmer. Hocking College senior vice president said the college supported the computer-giveaway project because of the importance of computer literacy and because so many populate in the region did not undergo computers. Using computers and computer literacy "is a big factor in higher education these days," said Palmer who noted that the college realizes the need for kids to be computer literate at an early age and therefore supports providing computers in homes of poor people in the region. Besides helping the needy. Palmer acknowledged that the program has benefited Hocking College. "Our students undergo gained very good practical experience dealing with the public repairing computers and [handling] software," he said. This November the computer project will mouth its seventh year and will start a back up arrange by accepting applications from clients who received computers from the communicate before Jan. 1. 2003 said Galway. Additionally the project continues to act applications from those who have never received a computer. Currently approximately 200 computers are available for distribution with more expected in the upcoming fiscal year. Galway said. Computers will be given on a first-com first-served basis. Applications are available for pickup at the Work Station. 70 N. Plains Road. The Plains. To be eligible for a computer a family must cater all the criteria below:1. Resident of Athens County;2. Household income below 200 percent of federal poverty level.3. cater Temporary Assistance to Needy Families guidelines: households with dependent children pregnant women or non-custodial parent.4. Does not currently possess a computer in the household or received one from the project since Jan. 1. 20035. Adult member of the household must be the project-sponsored training on use of the computer.
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