Larger text
Smaller text
Fox Chapel Rotary helps connect students to Internet
Application sessions will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in each of the district's six municipalities as follows:
March 18: Blawnox Borough Building, 376 Freeport Road.
March 19: Sharpsburg Borough Building, 1611 Main St.
March 20: Cooper Siegel Library (Fox Chapel), 403 Fox Chapel Road.
March 21: O'Hara Township Building, 325 Fox Chapel Road.
March 25: Aspinwall Borough Building, 217 Commercial Ave.
March 26: Indiana Township Community Center, 3710 Saxonburg Blvd.
Daily Photo Galleries
By Tawnya Panizzi
Published: Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 9:00 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The Fox Chapel Rotary, in conjunction with Volunteers of America, is leveling the playing field for some Fox Chapel Area students, providing them with Internet access for the coming year.
The groups' combined effort with Comcast, “Local Students without Computers Project,” will provide computers and Internet to 25 families who need it.
The move is just the first step to ensure that every high school student in the district has access to the resources needed to succeed, said Hannah Ufnar, manager of Volunteer of America's All of Us Care program, a long-running Sharpsburg group aimed at anti-drug and safety programs for children.
“In today's world, access to technology is vital to a student's academic and personal growth,” Ufnar said.
To qualify, families must have a student enrolled in the district who is receiving a free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program, and, they must not already have Comcast Internet at home.
Families will be required to contribute $50 toward the cost of the computer.
Application sessions will be held in each of the district's six municipalities.
Families interested in applying for the computer and Internet should bring a letter to document their child's participation in the school lunch program, which is available through the high school.
The program is first-come, first-served.
Volunteers of America was founded in 1896.
It operates on the mission of reaching and uplifting people, especially the needy, disabled or underserved. Programs include those that help with education, housing and employment.
Each year, members donate about $10,000 to the Fox Chapel Area School District communities by helping projects at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library, Boyd Community Center, Aspinwall Meals on Wheels, Camp Guyasuta and Beechwood Farms.
Members also take on a special project each year — past projects have been the construction of the new library and clean water drinking wells in Haiti.
This year, the club wanted to address the need to provide Internet throughout the district, said Pat Serey, Rotary board member and chief development and marketing officer of Volunteers of America.
“Access to technology is vital for the whole family, connecting them to financial, educational and healthcare resources, which benefits the community overall,” Serey said.
Tawnya Panizzi is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-782-2121, ext. 2 or at tpanizzi@tribweb.com.
Most Popular Fox Chapel
- Race heats up for Sharpsburg Council
- Security cameras assist Sharpsburg police
- Fox Chapel man to cycle 300 miles for charity
- Fox Chapel Area sophomore wins essay contest
- Residents, visitors asked not to park along Aspinwall Memorial Day parade route
- Sharpsburg mayor facing challenge in bid to keep seat
- Aspinwall riverfront park plan unveiled
- Aspinwall woman helps lead park party effort
You must be signed in to add comments
To comment, click the Sign in or sign up at the very top of this page.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.
