United Way Helps To Bring Digital Opportunities To The Disadvantaged
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania has joined forces with a company of non-profit contemporaries and corporate partners to spearhead a groundbreaking pilot project aimed at bridging the digital divide among low-income families in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

United Way’s Teaming For Technology Initiative, together with the Philadelphia Neighborhood Development Collaborative (PNDC), People’s Emergency Center (PEC), Philadelphians Concerned About Housing (PCAH), One Economy Corporation and corporate partners: IBM, Unisys, and Cisco Systems, Inc. is announcing the forthcoming launch of The One Economy Initiative. One Economy Initiative, scheduled to get underway in late January or early February 2003, is the first of its kind in the City of Philadelphia and one of a handful of similar projects being launched in other cities around the country

.In the first year of operation, the project involves constructing two model wireless Internet Networks and providing computers to clients and residents serviced by People’s Emergency Center and Philadelphians Concerned About Housing, connecting 100 families (between 200 and 300 individuals) living in the West Powelton and Haddington sections of West Philadelphia to high speed digital opportunities. Immediate plans also include building an interactive website devoted to the issues and interests of Philadelphia’s low-income communities. Future plans call for expanding the project to other low-income neighborhoods throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Up to now, there has been little technological development directed to the needs and interests of low-income communities. For digital opportunities to be embraced, there is a need for both relevant content and a technologically literate public. To help advance technological literacy among the disadvantaged, United Way is at the forefront of this movement to build a community technological infrastructure in low-income communities supported by high quality content, programs, and training — a strategic and comprehensive use of technology that will ultimately lead to action-oriented steps towards economic independence for low-income clients and the improvement of services for community agencies.

To donate a computer call: (215) 227-0600. For more information about digital opportunities for low-income families visit http://www.one-economy.org/ or www.the beehive.org/philly.