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What We Do

Tech Bridges, a program of Here's Life Inner City, works with inner-city churches to help them implement and grow computer technology programs to serve the people in their communities. We do this by obtaining donated computer equipment for them, pairing them with volunteers through our volunteer network, offering learning opportunities such as seminars, and by building up and strengthening the community of organizations dedicated to bringing computers and technology to underserved communities.

Why We Do It

New York City has a community of businesses, organizations, and individuals with an abundance of resources such as computer equipment, technical knowledge, and money. At the same time, New York City is also home to millions of people in underserved communities who will greatly benefit if those resources are shared. It is vital that children in the inner city are equipped with the same access to computers and technology as children in affluent communities.

 
  • In a 2002 Department of Labor study, over half (57%) of Americans over age 25 who were employed used a computer at work. -U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications & Information Administration, A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet, February 2002.
  • New York is 3rd in the U.S. for overall number of high-tech workers and 9th for average high-tech wage. -U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Covered Employment and Wages reported by American Electronics Association in CyberStates 2002: A State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry
  • 77% of households in New York earning less than $15,000 per year do not own a computer and 81% do not use the Internet at home. -The Children's Partnership, special tabulation of U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Computer and Internet Use Supplement, September 2001.
  • Of the 4.6 million children in New York, 873,000, or 19% are living in poverty. -U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey March Supplement, Poverty Status by State in 2000, March 2001.
  • 93% of teachers agree that students with Internet access at home enjoy an educational advantage. -SBC Communications, Back to School Survey, August 2001.

How We Do It

We have a variety of programs to serve the needs of inner-city churches and ministries in New York City. Through our computer donation program, we receive donated computers and equipment, refurbish them, and give them to organizations who need them for their programs. Our volunteer program helps pair volunteers with churches and ministries to help teach computer classes and provide technical support. We also offer seminars to teach, share information, listen to needs, and provide instruction on how to run more effective and successful computer programs. We want to build up a community of churches and ministries who desire to help bring technology to the inner city, and we are here to serve those churches and ministries and provide support for them.