Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – CityYouth Ministries announced yesterday that AT&T and Human I-T had partnered to distribute 110 refurbished computers to students in Jonesboro.
CityYouth Ministries is an organization working to transform the lives of youth in Jonesboro. “Access to technology resources is so vitally important to the young people we serve,” said Adrianne York Cruz, executive director of CityYouth Ministries. “These laptops will help open new doors of opportunity for kids in our community and allow them to thrive and succeed in school.”
The announcement was made at a press conference held at City Youth Ministries, with the students receiving the laptops in attendance. Mayor Harold Copenhaver, Craighead County Judge Marvin Day and Arkansas State Senator Dan Sullivan gave remarks to the students as part of the presentation.
“I’m so glad to see what’s going on now,” said Sullivan to the students. “I really appreciate AT&T for handing out laptops to you.”
Data shows a decline in laptop use within the home in 2025 and the U.S. Census Bureau estimates several million households in the United States don’t have access to a computer or the internet. And the divide is larger within some marginalized communities.
“We have committed $5 billion from now through 2030 to try to get at least 25 milllion more people connected,” explained Lisa Lake, vice president of external affairs for AT&T Arkansas. “With these today we’ve provided, over the last two years, over 1,000 computers to students and families here in Arkansas. It’s an intiative to help to close the digital divide.”