|
Home > Press Room > 2007 > Press Release
Press Release
Progreso Hispano Empowers
Immigrants Through Technology.
AT&T Foundation awards grant to League of United
Latin American Citizens that funds immigration
organization’s new community technology center.
September 25, 2007
For more
information, contact:
Cristina Schoendorf, Progreso Hispano,
703-799-8830
Althea Yancy, AT&T, 908-234-6705
Lizette J. Olmos, LULAC, 202-365-4553
Alexandria, Va.
(Sept. 25, 2007) — Progreso Hispano, a community
organization that works with immigrants to
improve the quality of their lives, today
announced the opening of its new community
technology center. The organization’s clients
will have access to and instruction on using
technology to help with GED preparation,
educational opportunities, job searches and
online citizenship services.
“The community
technology center supports the work Progreso is
doing in the community,” said Cristina
Schoendorf, Executive Director, Progreso
Hispano. “It connects immigrants with
technology, and expands their resources.”
Progreso Hispano
is just one of 32 new community technology
centers that have been opened nationwide in
low-income Hispanic communities through the
League of United Latin American Citizens’
(LULAC) Empower Hispanic America with Technology
initiative. LULAC, the largest and oldest
Hispanic membership organization in the country,
advances the economic conditions, educational
attainment, political influence, health and
civil rights of Hispanic Americans through
community-based programs. The new community
technology centers are being supported by a $1.5
million grant made by the AT&T Foundation -- the
corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T Inc.
(NYSE: T) -- to LULAC. Progreso Hispano, through
its participation in LULAC’s Empower Hispanic
America with Technology initiative was awarded
$20,000 to provide its center with computer
equipment, office software, high-speed Internet
access, video-conferencing equipment, technology
curriculum, support, and instruction for its
clients.
“LULAC is proud
to partner with the AT&T Foundation and Progreso
Hispano to deliver high speed technology
services to Latinos through our 56 community
technology centers,” said LULAC National
Executive Director Brent Wilkes. “The Hispanic
community has an unprecedented opportunity to
receive high-speed Internet access, computer
equipment and basic office applications software
to develop job skills, research career options,
educational opportunities and other resources.
We are excited about launching a new
teleconference service in the 56 locations in
addition to providing the technology we already
have.”
Clients served by
the community technology centers are low-income
and/or first-generation Hispanic-American youth
and adults. While a higher percentage of
Hispanics are employed compared with any other
ethnic group (64 percent employment rate versus
63 percent for the next highest, Current
Population Survey, April 2006), Hispanics are
far more likely than the average American to be
among the working poor. In addition, according
to a new study by Pew Hispanic Center, 53
percent of Hispanics who are not online indicate
this is because they do not have access. Empower
Hispanic America with Technology is aimed at
combating these inequities by giving Hispanics
the necessary skills, and access, to compete in
today’s technology-driven workplaces.
“The computers
help me look for a job and stay connected with
my children in El Salvador,” said Maria Fuentes,
one of Progreso Hispano’s clients. “Muchas
Gracias. Thank you.”
AT&T and the AT&T
Foundation support efforts that enrich and
strengthen diverse communities nationwide,
particularly initiatives with an emphasis on
education and technology and those that benefit
underserved populations. Since 1996, the AT&T
Foundation has contributed more than $40 million
in grants to organizations serving Hispanic
communities across the country.
“People need
telecommunications technology to compete in
today’s workforce, to excel academically, and to
have access to information,” said J. Michael
Schweder, President, AT&T Mid-Atlantic Region.
“We are proud to support programs that improve
people’s lives and we are committed to extending
the benefits of technology to everyone.”
###
About Progreso
Hispano
Progreso Hispano is a community development and
advocacy organization which seeks to serve and
empower immigrants to improve the quality of
their lives and of their communities through
education, leadership development and
immigration services.
About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (www.lulac.org)
is the oldest and largest Hispanic membership
organization in the country, advancing the
economic conditions, educational attainment,
political influence, health and civil rights of
Hispanic Americans through community-based
programs operating at more than 700 LULAC
councils nationwide.
About
Philanthropy at AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is committed to advancing
education, strengthening communities and
improving lives. Through its philanthropic
initiatives and partnerships, AT&T supports
projects that create learning opportunities;
promote academic and economic achievement; and
address community needs. In 2006, AT&T
contributed more than $101 million through
corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving
programs. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, the
corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T
Inc., combine more than $1.8 billion of historic
charitable commitment to communities across the
country.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications
holding company. Its subsidiaries and
affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the
providers of AT&T services in the United States
and around the world. Among their offerings are
the world's most advanced IP-based business
communications services and the nation's leading
wireless, high speed Internet access and voice
services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for
the directory publishing and advertising sales
leadership of its Yellow Pages and
YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T
brand is licensed to innovators in such fields
as communications equipment. As part of its
three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is
expanding its TV entertainment offerings.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the
products and services provided by AT&T
subsidiaries and affiliates is available at
http://www.att.com.
© 2007 AT&T
Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved. AT&T
and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T
Knowledge Ventures. For more information, please
review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at
http://www.att.com/newsroom
###
|
