Tech the Halls paired refurbished computers and other electronics with students who need them during a pop-up shop-style giveaway Wednesday at Castle Park High School.
The event was hosted by Computers 2 Kids-San Diego, Cox Communications, and South Bay Community Services.
“We have desktop (computers) with 22-inch screens, netbooks, laptops, and tablets,” said Cheri Pierre, ceo of Computers 2 Kids – San Diego.
The electronics are from corporations such as Cox Communications, Qualcomm, Sharp Hospital, and Amazon that are buying new computers.
“We work with schools to identify families that do not have computers,” Pierre said. “This will be like a pop-up store.”
Families receiving the computers filled out paperwork signed up with Cox Cable for internet access and then had the hardware loaded into cars or strollers.
Cox Communications provides qualifying K-12 families with discounted internet rates through their Connect2Compete initiative.
“This is a holiday giving event, to take the wishes of kids we are serving and give back the wishes,” said Patty Chavez, communications and external affairs director of South Bay Community Services.
The agency provided Christmas presents for the students, as a part of their Hope for the Holidays program, in addition to the computers the families received.
“My youngest, Joey, is struggling, this will be huge for him to play learning games. I was really troubled, I didn’t have any way to get Christmas presents this year,” said Chula Vista resident Wendi Phillips. Phillips is a single parent. Phillips, one of 20 families that will receive a refurbished computer, has 8 children, 7 of which are school age.
Computers 2 Kids—San Diego was founded in 2004 to provide computers to low income families.
“We’ve provided 100,000 to date in San Diego County, over 24,000 this year,” said Pierre. Computers 2 Kids-San Diego is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization.
“We try to make it as clean as possible. We do a Department of Defense standard to clean the up computer,” she said.
“We have all heard of the digital divide where some families, due to lack of technology in the home, could fall behind in their education,” said Ceanne Guerra, manager, media & public relations, Cox Communications. “Today is also giving them the tools they need to be successful.”
