The Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (KHCC) has teamed up with TechFIN, a firm that renovates old computers, and has donated the first of 50 desktop computers to residents in the community, rather than sending them to a landfill.

 

On Thursday, Jan. 13, staffers at KHCC were busy processing the paperwork for residents who were patiently waiting in line, respecting the social distancing guidelines. Boxes of computers were later brought out of the center, located at 3101 Kingsbridge Terrace in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood, and were placed in the hands of waiting students and other community members who will use them to work, do their homework or engage with friends on social media.

 

During the distribution of the desktop computers, Margaret Della, CEO of KHCC explained to Norwood News, “They’re computers that Tech Fin has acquired through various corporate donations, bringing different businesses together to refurbish and distribute them to the community.” According to TechFIN, the computers were donated by large corporations like the National Football League, JetBlue, and Pfizer.

 

Della continued, “We’ve identified families that need computer equipment in their home, in addition to other needs like food insecurity or safety, and this is one of those things that’s so important to how people are getting by, so today, we’re really excited to knock off our wait list of computer equipment through the help of TechFIN.”

 

According to Della, pick-up appointments were scheduled and spaced out “for COVID purposes,” to facilitate parents’ pick-up times for their children who were in the daycare program at the center, and for residents who were also visiting the food pantry. Each computer included a monitor, hard drive, keyboard, mouse, and software.

 

Della added, “We anticipate that we’ll have a greater need as we continue to provide this service in the community, but definitely, this is something that parents and community members have expressed a need [for].”

 

For residents who didn’t have internet access at home, KHCC assisted with applications to have a discounted internet service set-up through the federal government. They also helped some residents in need with donated “private dollars” to help defray some of the cost of utility bills. The center also had KHCC Connect, the group’s IT team, on hand to help new users connect their new devices and troubleshoot any internet issues.

 

Watching as his organization’s computers were placed into cars, and rolled down the street, John Valdivia of TechFIN, said, “TechFIN, which is short for Technology for Families In Need, partners with nonprofit organizations that actually know the need within the community.” He added, “So TechFIN acquires computers, and then works with nonprofits to find recipients that need them. So, this is the first of hopefully many that we get to do with KHCC in distributing these desktop computers.”

 

Norwood News also spoke with Kingsbridge Heights resident, Derrick Rumph, whose son attends the center. “We heard about this [computer giveaway] when we were signing him up for summer camp, and they called us when they became available,” he said. The father added, “It’s a really cool thing to do. Now, my kid has his own computer for school.”

 

Devin John of Harlem added, “My son will use it. He’s in high school, so it will be good for him to use.” He added, “I think it’s totally cool. I wish I knew the in-depth information on the whole program. It’s, like, just sign up and send them an email and they send you a batch number. It’s, like, so fast, so I really don’t know the story behind it.”

 

According to instructions on the website of the Brooklyn-based TechFIN organization, “Millions of low-income families lack access to a computer in the home. This contributes to a growing digital divide, where completing schoolwork or… job applications becomes increasingly difficult.”

 

As previously reported, a somewhat similar tech program was launched by a group of tech-savvy youth in The Bronx during the early months of the pandemic. A partnership developed between Union Community Health Center (UCHC) and a federal, student-led nonprofit called Telehealth Access for Seniors (TAFS), which launched in March 2020.

 

With the move toward an online telehealth environment amid the pandemic, and the growing need for then-isolating seniors to become more adept at using technology in order to keep their telehealth appointments, TAFS essentially filled the void by connecting people who, for whatever reason, did not have the means to access Telehealth services, with the necessary electronic devices to do just that.

The students collected old or used smart devices from donors, while also purchasing new devices through fundraising efforts. They then distributed the devices, which ranged from Amazon Fire 7 tablets to iPads and cell phones, to those who needed them, including seniors. Not only that, they trained the recipients on how to use the devices to keep their telehealth appointments.

 

Meanwhile, back at Kingsbridge Heights, the free giveaway of the 50 home computers by KHCC may well have been something of a curious twist of fate. When Norwood News attended another KHCC sponsored event on Oct. 2, 2021, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) who was also present, recalled his memories of the center, saying, “I remember this building when it was a police station, when I was a little kid…”

 

He added, “When the 50 Precinct moved to Kingsbridge Avenue, there was a group of women from this neighborhood who wanted to do something really good with this building, and that’s how the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center was born.”

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story