Photo by Síle Moloney
Editor’s Note: The following is an updated version of the story that appears in our print edition dated April 30, 2026.
Bronx youth participating in Good Shepherd Services’ (GSS) family foster care program got some welcome news on Wednesday, April 15, as the nonprofit, in collaboration with AT&T, unveiled a new computer lab at its University Heights center at 7 West Burnside Avenue, expanding internet and connected technology access to an underserved community.
Amid ongoing budget negotiations, representatives from the offices of various elected officials, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia (A.D. 86), and Council Member Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14), were in attendance for the occasion.
Opening of New Computer Lab at GSS’s Burnside Ave Center, University Heights, Bronx April 15, 2026 V1
According to the event organizers, with schools, services, and even family visitation increasingly relying on digital access, many young people in foster care face daily barriers to staying connected. They said the new computer lab aims to close that gap, providing devices and connectivity so youth can keep up with schoolwork, participate in virtual family visits, and access essential services.
Photo by Síle Moloney
They said the lab provides connectivity and increased access to essential technology for youth in The Bronx’s child welfare system, and for families. “For foster youth and families in The Bronx, connection is a lifeline,” said Michelle Yanche, president of GSS. “It is essential, not a luxury. We are grateful to partner with an innovative partner like AT&T to ensure this community is connected to have access to resources for learning, support, and employment opportunities.”
According to GSS, the initiative aims to remove barriers to technology, close the digital divide, and provide reliable access to computers and internet connectivity, ensuring that the community can participate in online learning and access essential services.
Opening of New Computer Lab at GSS’s Burnside Ave Center, University Heights, Bronx April 15, 2026 V2
“At AT&T, we have been working to help bring the right resources and the right technology to the right places, so that all New Yorkers can achieve their goals,” said John Emra, president of AT&T Northeast. “Our investment in this computer lab at Good Shepherd directly reflects our commitment to get more families connected, and make an impact in the communities we serve. We’re grateful for the opportunity to bring this resource to The Bronx, and for the life-changing work done by everyone at Good Shepherd Services.”
The event included a tour and a demonstration of the new computer lab which has around five or six computers. After the official opening, Norwood News spoke to Robin White, director of external affairs for AT&T New York, who said the company has partnered with GSS several times. “We’ve done some digital literacy programs with them. AT&T’s focus is bridging the digital divide, so we support nonprofits in their work providing digital literacy for the community, whether that be young people or senior citizens, or even adults who are looking for a job,” White said. “We’ve done laptop donations, and another thing that we’ve done is we’ve been opening these computer labs called computer learning centers.”
Photo by Síle Moloney
White said they’ve opened several to date all over the State of New York, adding that GSS does incredible work with young people. Norwood News mentioned that during the pandemic, some novel initiatives were born out of the need to educate older adults on technology, and how some nonprofits began repairing devices and training older adults how to use them to communicate. We asked if the partnership with GSS stemmed from a similar experience.
“No, but we do work with nonprofits that do refurbish computers under a separate initiative where they do the refurbishing, and we find nonprofits to donate a chunk of laptops to,” White said.
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“Last year, we donated over 500 laptops, and this year, we’re looking to do at least a thousand, if not more,” she added. “We’re trying to come at the digital divide from different angles, through computer labs, through laptop donations, and also to make sure that people know how to use them, because you can have the two legs of the stool and if you do have a device and connectivity, if you don’t know how to use it, then you’re missing that third leg of the stool.”
White said AT&T had been mindful to take direction from GSS in terms of what was needed, rather than coming in and dictating what they felt should be done. “They’ve been really good partners,” she said, “They did a wonderful job here.” Asked if the lab at the Burnside Avenue location was the first in The Bronx, White said it was not and estimated that it was maybe the third. “The digital divide is really severe here,” she said. “We’re really happy to help out.”
Photo by Síle Moloney
GSS officials say the nonprofit is a leading multi-service organization working to expand opportunities for children, youth, and families in underinvested NYC communities. As reported, it also runs the Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.) program. They say GSS serves over 30,000 individuals annually, providing academic enrichment, housing, career development, community services, and family well-being support.
“We operate over 90 programs in The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, creating opportunities to help participants thrive at school, at home, and in their communities,” they said.
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Jessieh Lommenuel Campbell, 18, who goes by “Lommenuel,” is one of the students at the GSS center who will benefit from the new lab. He said he has been in foster care for a year and currently lives with his sister, adding that they have different dads. We asked Lommenuel, who speaks with such considered reflection and cadence, it beguiles his tender years, where he used to do his homework prior to the lab’s opening. He said he has an assistant at GSS called Ubi. “She would print out the resumes for me and when I update it, she would update it as well, so she’s been a big support for me before here, and even now,” he said.
“I needed a printer to print out my new resume because I started working recently. I’m working five nights in a row. I’m a cleaner at a café, El Barista. It’s very convenient for the time being.” Asked if he liked his colleagues, he said, “Yeah, the colleagues are great. They are very good people.”
Photo by Síle Moloney
We asked Lommenuel, who turns 19 on May 2, if he was comfortable to share a little of how he ended up in the foster care system. He said he was born in North Carolina but wasn’t raised there, though smiling, he added, “I’m a country boy.” He continued, “I was taken by my uncle because my mother was in prison and he went to New York, and he took me to Miami as well, and then he took me to Trinidad.”
He mentioned that when he lived with his father, he often didn’t have enough to eat. “I used to faint because I would be low on sugar,” he said, adding that he also worked out a lot and needed to eat more as a result.
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Lommenuel continued, “I was raised there [Trinidad] with my grandmother and my other siblings.” Norwood News mentioned the famous Trinidad festivals, and he said they were really fun. “I’m a dancer,” he said. “I love to dance. I’m very open-minded to everything, even poetry, writing books. I read a lot. I read very often. I find myself in books.” He added that he also loved new experiences.
In 2022, Lommenuel said he was living in Atlanta, and his mother drove him and his brother from Atlanta to New York and that’s how he ended up here. “New York is lovely,” he said at one point, adding that he had lived in different boroughs to date.
Photo by Síle Moloney
Asked what his long-term plans were, Lommenuel said, “I’m interested in doing everything I’m capable of,” adding that he’s already taken various academic tests and was scheduled to take another the following Friday. He said he hoped to take up carpentry and was also interested in learning about the blueprints for buildings. “I’ve a creative mind,” he said.
Asked if there was anything he’d like readers to know about people in foster care, Lommenuel said GSS treated the kids very well. “It’s like a family,” he said. “It’s a very warm atmosphere.” He said the therapy services provided were also very good for his mental health. “There’s a lot of support everywhere. It’s good people.” he said.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.