UNITED WAY PROVIDES CHROMEBOOKS TO STUDENTS

SAVANNAH, GA (August 3, 2020) – United Way of the Coastal Empire has awarded a $28,000 grant to the Effingham County Board of Education. The fund will be used to purchase 100 Chromebooks to ensure students in need have access to a quality education amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is critical that we give our students every opportunity that we can to support them and help bridge the technology gap that limits access to learning during this difficult time,” said Brynn Grant, President and CEO of United Way of the Coastal Empire. “Our efforts to provide students with Chromebooks will ensure that students focus on learning and prevent them from falling behind.”

This award is part of the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund to support residents impacted by the pandemic. United Way has raised more than $620,000 and distributed nearly $500,000 to date to help families retain stable housing and provide financial assistance for additional critical needs. More than 1,400 individuals and families in our four-county region have been helped by United Way.

Grant further stated, “The Effingham County Board of Education has roughly 13,000 students currently enrolled for the 2020-2021 school year. Knowing the possibility that we will have to operate under an all virtual learning platform in the near future, we want to make sure we can accommodate the needs of all students. Purchasing additional Chromebooks is a step in the right direction.”

Helping every child succeed in school is critical to the United Way’s mission. At the beginning of the pandemic, United Way also granted $26,000 to Savannah Chatham County Public School System to purchase 115 Chromebooks for students in schools with the highest levels of poverty.

For more information, visit www.uwce.org.