BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — For this Kern’s Kindness, we’re learning about a recent donation the United Way of Kern County made to support local students.
Last Thursday, they partnered with the tech company Schlumberger to donate fifteen laptops to Stay Focused Ministries.
The goal was to help students, from elementary to high school, focus on their schoolwork by giving them the necessary resources they might not have at home. The students are a part of the mentorship program at Stay Focused Ministries.
The United Way of Kern’s Gabriel Alvarez said having access to these laptops will make a big difference in these students’ educations.
"Technology is huge and so if kids don’t learn technology at a young age, they’re already behind, and so we knew how important these laptops were," he said.
And Alvarez said the students’ reactions to the donation made all their efforts worth it.
"Some of them were just so excited because for the longest time, they didn’t have extra technology to use outside of school," he said. "So now they can come to a place, somewhere central, somewhere safe, and they know they have technology to do their work, to do the schoolwork, and also have a little bit of fun.”
Alvarez said it’s in their name - the United Way of Kern loves to unite and collaborate with organizations across the community to make a difference in others’ lives. He encourages everyone to reach out and partner with them. Click here to learn more.
If you know someone who should be featured in Kern’s Kindness, email us at kernskindness@kero.com.
