On February 8, in partnership with the Youth and Education Office, Councilwoman Laura Pastor delivered 50 laptops to one•n•ten, a local nonprofit dedicated to serving and assisting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

The Dell laptops, which are equipped with Wi-Fi, will go to LGBTQ students involved in the one•n•ten Digital Space, a universe made up of programs and groups on Zoom, Q-Chat, Discord, and Twitch. The one•n•ten Digital Space also helps connect students to resources, because social distance doesn’t have to mean social isolation.

Councilwoman Pastor, who has been an LGBTQ advocate and a leader on the City Council to solve short- and long-term digital divide solutions, coordinated the donation to one•n•ten.

“COVID-19 has brought to light how important it is to close the digital divide,” said Councilwoman Laura Pastor. “The pandemic has turned everyone’s life upside down and prevented people from accessing the resources they need. Today’s donation will help connect LGBTQ teens to programs and support groups digitally.”

one•n•ten Executive Director, Nate Rhoton, added, “While the pandemic has been incredibly difficult for many of our youth, the last year has also shown us how we can still deliver powerful programming digitally.  The support of Councilwoman Pastor and the City of Phoenix ensures our young people will be able to tap into our resources wherever they may be. We are truly grateful.”

The 50 Dell Latitude 2-in-1 Education Laptops were purchased using CARES ACT Funds and approved by the Phoenix City Council.

Phoenix has implemented a variety of measures to help address the local digital divide, from providing devices to schools, devices to families and seniors in local housing facilities to expanding mobile Wi-Fi access in the community.