Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids shows power of technology at home

Audrey Carey was born and raised in Gallatin, Tennessee but moved to Atlanta several years ago with her four children.

After living there for five years, Audrey was called at work one day that her home had caught on fire. Her children were home, and thankfully, no one was hurt. The house, however, was destroyed.

Audrey and her kids lost everything and were forced to move from place to place until finally settling into a shelter. Not long after that, Audrey packed up her four kids and all their belongings and moved home.

The day after commenting to her mother about how badly she needed a computer for her kids, Audrey received a letter in the mail from her Department of Human Services case manager telling her she would soon be receiving a brand new computer from Connected Tennessee’s Computers 4 Kids program.

She had been selected based on her outstanding performance in the DHS Families First program, a program that emphasizes work, training and personal responsibility. “My kids started jumping up and down,” she said.

Today Audrey is working at a nursing home, attending night school to obtain her GED, and preparing for massage therapy school. And, thanks to her new computer, Audrey’s daughter was recently able to perform research to win an essay contest that won her a $500 prize.

For Audrey and others benefiting from Connected Tennessee’s Computer 4 Kids program, a home computer and the subsequent use of broadband in their home can change their lives.

At Connected Nation, we recently announced a partnership called Every Citizen Online (SM) which will sponsor these kinds of computer donations and literacy education throughout the United States.

To learn more about Every Citizen Online (SM), click here.