Carroll Technology Council launches Computers for the Community program
Michel Elben Carroll County Times October 31, 2015
In a quick and easy transaction, Carroll Technology Council’s executive director Kati Townsley gifted Lori Hryczaniuk, of Westminster, with a refurbished computer at the Tech Council’s Westminster offices.
It was part of CTC’s Computers for the Community program, which helps to bridge the digital divide and provides technology resources to advance specific initiatives of community organizations in Carroll County.
“This is a very generous program,” said Hryczaniuk, who became aware of the program through Habitat for Humanity of Carroll County.
She said her daughter Faith, 6, would use it for educational purposes.
“She’s only in first grade and they’re already using computers,” Hryczaniuk said.
The Carroll Technology Council launched their Computers for the Community program on Oct. 1. The community outreach initiative provides 90 computers over 90 days to local community organizations.
“We had a surplus of computers and wanted to be able to reach out to community organizations to help them meet their technology needs,” Townsley said.
Bryan Lyburn, Habitat for Humanity of Carroll County’s executive director, said CTC reached out to their office about the computers.
“We’re happy to help coordinate it and get technology in the hands of our homeowners and their kids,” he said. “They will benefit from this program as they, and their children, will learn new skills and have access to computers that would otherwise not be available to them.”
Carol Kohlhepp, of Westminster, also received a computer through the program.
“This is going to my son Levi’s Christmas gift,” Kohlhepp said. “He’s going to do his schoolwork with it.”
Jennifer DeJesus, of Westminster, said the computer would be a help to her children as well.
“I have three children. They will all use it for school,” DeJesus said.
Carroll County Business Employment Resource Center; Carroll Community College; CHANGE Inc. of Carroll County; the Westminster Rescue Mission; New Life for Girls, Silver Oak Academy and the North Carroll Community School are some of the other recipients of computers through the program, Townsley said.
Townsley said the council received the computers from the Carroll County Public Library system and Carroll Public Schools.
“They gave them to us and our volunteers refurbished them,” she said. “Now we’re distributing them back into the community.”
Townsley said the program helped launch computer labs at the Silver Oak Academy, North Carroll Community School and Change Inc.
“We are grateful for the donation of computers to Change Inc.,” said Change Inc.’s director of development Teresa Perrera in a prepared statement. “The computers that are being donated will be put to great use and clients and staff are excited to have workstations available to them. The computers will go far in improving programming and what is available online.”
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From left, Habitat for Humanity of Carroll County’s executive director Bryan Lyburn, recipient Carol Kohlhepp, recipient Jennifer DeJesus, Carroll Technology Council’s Bob Dorr, CTC’s executive director Kati Townsley, CTC’s secretary Denise Beaver, recipient Lori Hryczaniuk, recipient Sarah Oneill, and HHCC’s board member Scott Clark pose for a photo before launching Carroll Technology Council’s Computers for the Community program.
