Forty-one percent of Philadelphia's residents don't have internet access. In a class held by the non-profit organization People's Emergency Center, fifty percent of attendees don't own computers.
"A lot of our clients are utilizing the computer access for job search and job development," said Joe-Nell Williams, operations coordinator for the People's Emergency Center.
In an attempt to connect to those who are not connected, Mayor Michael Nutter took part in a wire cutting ceremony to announce the launch of twenty public computer centers by the end of the summer.
The ultimate goal is to have 77 computer centers operation all over the Philadelphia in the next two years. Funding for these centers will come from $6.4 million in federal stimulus money.
The Freedoms Rings Partnership between the city and non-profit organizations was created in an effort to bring computer education, internet access, and technology training to low income areas.
