The health crisis generated by the pandemic exacerbated all kinds of social and technological disparities, further aggravating the disadvantaged conditions of thousands of children and adolescents lacking a support network.
In response to a widening gap, the Brooklyn Nets, in partnership with Motorola and Verizon, donated fifty smartphones to New York City high school seniors in foster care.
“With this phone donation, we are making sure that temporary housing students can get off to an equal start with their peers while pursuing college or careers,” said Mandy Gutmann, Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Relations at BSE Global, the company that manages the Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets.
A portion of the fifty seniors who graduated and got the phones were students from SIMBA (“Safe in my brother’s arms”) and ASET (“All sisters evolve together”), two programs of the Department of Education. committed to helping New York City high school students in temporary housing. Of the 1,500 members in this year’s class, 100% have received offers to attend college.
“Watching them as they progress through high school is an enlightening journey and it always amazes me how they engage in their studies while dealing with the impact of homelessness,” said Christopher Moncrief, SIMBA / ASET program coordinator
Each of the smartphones, Moto x4, has a two-year unlimited data plan, provided by Verizon.
“The past year has shown everyone how important connection is,” said Yvette Martinez – Rea, vice president of sponsorships and partnerships for Verizon. “We are proud to partner with the Brooklyn Nets and Motorola on this initiative.”
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