Bring Up Nebraska Partners Working to Meet Needs: First Lady Shore, Motherboard and Generous Funders Refurbish Over 80 Computers for Families in Colfax/Platte Counties

First Lady Susanne Shore said, “This emergency caused by COVID-19 has been a curse and a blessing. We are seeing so much need in our state; however, we are also seeing the strength of our communities and generosity of our neighbors. We are lucky to live in such a great place.” 

And so, we are. Our First Lady is referring to a current instance of community success in which our state pooled its resources together to facilitate positive change. Recent times are a perfect example of these impromptu good deeds. We are heartened to see that even during these challenges, our great state and its communities are making strides toward thriving again.  

Schuyler, Nebraska, with the help of our First Lady and other generous organizations, provided a terrific example of a community that cultivates positive change through engagement. When families in the Platte/Colfax Counties who were pursuing distance-learning were left with no available technology, the Community and Family Partnership, one of Bring Up Nebraska’s community collaboratives, reached out to its partners for assistance.  

First Lady Shore has long been an advocate of Bring Up Nebraska’s efforts. She continued to display this commitment as she worked with Motherboard, an electronics recycling organization that employs workers on the autism spectrum, to gather computers for low-income Nebraska students. This mission’s purpose was to make computers—which are practically required for a successful education—available to those students who needed them most to continue their e-learning.  

Further forces of generosity continued to merge. Nebraska Impact COVID-19 Fund, Community Response funds from Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, and The Sherwood Foundation leveraged funds to refurbish over 80 computers.  

On Monday, April 20, the computers were delivered to the Community and Family Partnership in Schuyler. From there, these much-needed items will be passed along to families across Colfax/Platte Counties.  

First Lady Shore said, “Providing these computers to kids in Colfax and Platte Counties is another example of how the Community Collaboratives across Nebraska are helping make families stronger and more successful, even in the most challenging of times. With the help of Motherboard and companies across the state that have donated computers for this program, we can help all of our children be more successful as they study from home.” 

Sarah Papa, Coordinator for Community and Family Partnership said, “We are so grateful for this opportunity in Platte and Colfax Counties.”  

Sarah said she has contacted local literacy organizations including Centro Hispano Comunitario de Nebraska, Platte Valley Literacy Agency, and Cargill Community Learning Center to notify them of the computers’ availability.  

These electronics will arrive at a particularly important time, as each of these programs are utilizing distance learning for students in subjects including Citizenship, English as a Second Language, General Education Development, and other important areas.  

Sarah said she has also contacted local Community Response families, who are the recipients of ongoing coaching. From among those households, several have been identified as those for whom laptops will be a tremendous asset and opportunity to continue educational pursuits.  

As we continue our pursuits of moving closer to a thriving state, we are thankful to Motherboard, generous funders, Bring Up Nebraska partners, and First Lady Shore for embodying the essence of what community can do when everyone works to Bring Up Nebraska.  

Subscribe to our blog