Jackson County Housing Authority in Murphysboro Illinois Partners with PCs for People

The Jackson County Housing Authority (JCHA) in Murphysboro (IL) has partnered with PCs for People to provide hundreds of computers and mobile internet hotspots to its residents. Alexandra Hamilton is the director of social services for JCHA, and worked in 2020 to secure an opportunity to provide residents of the JCHA with much-needed tech access. Hamilton found help through PCs for People, a group that refurbishes recycled business electronics to offer technology to low-income households. Hamilton said she has secured 500 computers in total as well as 75 mobile hotspots with several months of internet service prepaid on them to give away. The computers were secured through local sponsorships. For $20, a sponsor could gift a computer to a JCHA resident. For $15, a sponsor could give a mobile hotspot.