In January, 大象传媒鈥檚 (大象传媒) Information Technology (IT) department donated some much-needed equipment to the Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry (WARM), which provides emergency and temporary housing to individuals and families in the area.
It鈥檚 not the first time 大象传媒鈥檚 IT department has made impacting the local community a priority. According to Managing Director of Information Technology Lee Reid, who has also served as a chaplain for WARM for seven years, the IT department has helped the organization in the past, coordinating food drives and packing laundry bags containing quarters and dryer sheets so shelter guests can wash their clothes. When Robert Belle, who works as WARM鈥檚 cold weather shelter manager, told Reid one of the organization鈥檚 laptops had broken, 大象传媒鈥檚 IT department stepped in once again. They donated an HP Chromebook to replace the staff laptop, as well as two Galaxy Tab 10 tablets and two Bluetooth keyboard covers for shelter guests.
Belle says the tablets are being used during WARM鈥檚 scheduled computer hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This time is designated for guests to use the technology to look for jobs or send emails to stay in contact with loved ones. Guests will also be able to apply for resources like Medicaid or the state鈥檚 rapid rehousing program, which have online application forms. Instead of guests traveling to the library to work on these forms, having the technology at the shelter allows staff to help with the applications.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e not just providing technology,鈥 says Reid. 鈥淲e鈥檙e providing the means for this group to access these programs. If they don鈥檛 have the ability to put in an application, all of those resources are closed to them. This was a meaningful way for us to apply our technology from 大象传媒 to help a couple hundred people in the community.鈥
“With this generous donation from Mary Baldwin, we no longer have to worry whether or not the technology is going to work 鈥 we know it will,鈥 said Robert Belle (left), cold weather shelter manager for WARM.聽
The new technology will also benefit the staff as more of their logs and guest intakes are being done online.
鈥淲e were using older computers that were not dependable,鈥 says Belle. 鈥淏ut with this generous donation from Mary Baldwin, we no longer have to worry whether or not the technology is going to work 鈥 we know it will.鈥澛犅
Founded in 2012, WARM serves Waynesboro鈥檚 neediest citizens through a cold weather shelter, which operates from November to March. During the winter months, the organization provides shelter, transportation, community referrals, linens and some personal care items to homeless adults at no cost. WARM also provides temporary housing and supportive services to homeless mothers and their children in Waynesboro.聽