BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Eric Knight, 68, never had a laptop.
That changed this year when Knight learned about Northampton County’s free access device and giveaway program for county residents and organizations.
Volunteers from the county’s Digital Navigator Coalition came to his home at Harlan House in Easton, distributing formerly county-owned laptops and cellphones repurposed for public use.
“I got the laptop to get the news, and I’m on YouTube a lot,” Knight said. “I learned how to do certain things that I was not aware of. As I grow older I find myself in my apartment a lot by myself, so I like to read. I’m grateful.”
On Wednesday, Knight brought seven or eight of his neighbors to the ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem for a tech tutorial organized by the Digital Navigator Coalition — a free event at which seniors could get free devices and training in smartphone and laptop basics.
It included a boxed lunch and even provided vouchers for public transportation so folks could attend.
About 30 people registered, said Tina Smith, director of Northampton County’s Department of Community and Economic Development.
It was funded from a $13,000 Community Challenge Grant from AARP, which also is being used to market and advertise the device giveaway program, as well as purchase charging cords.
“We’re not only trying to solve their digital challenges today, but just to be heard and recognized.”Tina Smith, Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development
Wednesday’s event was the fifth of six planned this year but the first that the county was able to advertise beyond its own social media and news releases, Smith said.
Staffers from Bethlehem Area School District's information services department helped indoctrinate seniors to their new devices.
Smith said the county and its digital navigator volunteers were delighted by the turnout and feedback received.
“Thank you. Thank you for paying attention to them,” Smith said when asked what she was hearing as folks walked out of the ArtsQuest Center with devices and training.
“We’re not only trying to solve their digital challenges today, but just to be heard and recognized. They appreciate it.
"And that there’s community and spirit and parts of government that actually care about them. So they’re all very grateful for the experience today.”
A digital necessity
County Executive Lamont McClure said the digital navigator program started with American Rescue Plan and CARES Act money distributed to the county a few years ago.
“We think this is so important because you cannot access your full life today without being able to access the internet,” McClure said.
“It’s not just being able to get on the internet. It’s being able to get on and order your medications and make your doctor’s appointments and do a little shopping, too, when it’s hard to get out.”
McClure said the county’s IT people refresh hardware and recycle it to be included in the giveaway program.
Smith said the county wipes the hardware clean, installs free basic software and repurposes the laptops and phones into the community.
Roughly 80 to 100 laptops have been given out so far this year.
“Eventually we’d love to be able to do collections where we can clean up other donated devices, but we’re not there yet,” Smith said.
Besides county-resident seniors, Smith said, the devices are available to local nonprofit organizations and municipalities.
Those interested in getting a device can call the county Department of Community and Economic Development at 610-829-6309.
Knight said he hoped the group he rounded up from Harlan House on Wednesday would gain what he did since first learning about the program.
“I told them that it will benefit them a lot,” he said. “I have my grandkids who are pretty much tech savvy. I enjoy being able to sit down now and speak their language.”
