When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, it highlighted the great disparities between families in terms of access to digital communication devices and home internet service. CYS, in partnership with The Everychild Foundation, set out to create a solution. The result was CYS’s Digital Divide Campaign.
Rallying our volunteers and supporters, CYS put out a call for cash gifts and donations of unused cellphones and laptops from contributors throughout the County. New and donated devices were presented to our youth clients and families through “contactless” deliveries made by CYS volunteers, touching the lives of many grateful youth and families.
One of our delighted recipients was Marilu M., 17 (pictured above with her newly received iPhone 6S). After her CYS case manager learned that Marilu had a broken and inoperable cellphone, and no way to access classwork or clinical or social services, she requested a replacement phone be found.
A call went out to one of CYS’s volunteers, who picked up the phone and documentation from CYS and delivered them safely to Marilu. Later that day, Marilu’s dad sent the picture above, along with the family’s thanks, to CYS. And our thanks go out to everyone who made this one-of-a-kind program possible!