Arizona Tribune - Across the Delta, Local Organizations Are Making Computer Ownership Possible

NORTH CONWAY, NH / ACCESS Newswire / July 29, 2026 / Across Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, local organizations are showing that computer ownership means more than distributing devices. It takes trusted community partners, reliable laptops, hands-on training, and coordination across sectors.

Through the 3 Southern States Connected Communities Program, Digitunity and AT&T are working with local community organizations to provide refurbished laptops paired with digital skills training to students, adult learners, and families who previously did not own a computer. The work is happening in collaboration with local organizations, including Canopy Children's Solutions and Coahoma Community College in Mississippi and the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-McGehee (UAM-CTM) in Arkansas.

Digitunity serves as the central connector and coordinator, aligning device donors, refurbishers, funders, and local organizations to ensure computers reach the people who need them. Millions of people have to complete online tasks such as homework, job applications, and managing their healthcare without a home computer. Digitunity's analysis of 2024 American Community Survey data shows that 32.9 million people and 1 in 7 households in the United States do not own a computer. The need is especially great in the areas served by the 3 Southern States Connected Communities Program, where 23% of households in Mississippi, 22% in Arkansas, and 21% in Louisiana do not have a large-screen computer. Nearly 930,000 households across these three states lack a computer.

​Computer ownership helps remove barriers that public computers and smartphones cannot solve. Students without a computer can struggle to complete assignments outside the classroom. Adult learners pursuing certifications or degrees may be limited by the availability of public computers. Families without a reliable large-screen device face challenges navigating online school and work forms, accounts, healthcare portals, and government services.

One student connected through Canopy Children's Solutions described what it meant to receive a laptop after years without one:

"I have not had a laptop for 15 years; this class and opportunity to refresh my knowledge and learn new things is going to help me a lot. I have also been going to the library for so many years, just because we have not been financially able to afford a computer or laptop. I am beyond grateful for Canopy Children Services and everyone helping put everything together so wonderfully. My family is beyond words for everything received and the kindness and warm hearts from all of the staff."

• Digital Literacy Workshop Participant/Computer Recipient, Canopy Children's Solutions

The participant's experience shares the program's broader goal: pairing laptops with local support so individuals and families can use technology with confidence.

Digitunity coordinates the partnerships, processes, and systems that make computer ownership possible, connecting computers with the people who need them through trusted local organizations. Across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, local community organizations know their communities' needs best. They build trusted relationships, identify local needs, provide training support, and connect people to community resources. Digitunity's national deployment network of corporate refurbishment and community partners helps direct available retired and donated technology to individuals who need a free computer.

In southeast Arkansas, the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-McGehee and the UAM Adult Education Center embed computer ownership programs in existing education and workforce programs. Launched in January 2026, the UAM-CTM Digital Literacy Program equips adult education students with Digitunity-sourced refurbished laptops from Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council (CACRC) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Students who complete WAGE I and WAGE II employability courses are eligible to receive a refurbished laptop, while students in the Business Office Technology and Health Information Technology programs can borrow laptops during their studies and keep them after graduation. Over the course of the program, 250 laptops will be distributed. The launch brought together education, workforce, government, corporate, refurbishment, and community partners, including UAM-CTM, the UAM Adult Education Center, Digitunity, AT&T, Arkansas Workforce Connections, the Arkansas State Broadband Office, the City of McGehee, Congressman Bruce Westerman's office, and local leaders. Each organization plays a role in making computer ownership part of the local support system for adult learners.

In Mississippi, Canopy Children's Solutions builds trusted relationships with families through its LINK solution, which combines behavioral health, education, family support services, and resource navigation to connect families with local, state, and federal support. Canopy Children's Solutions administered social needs screenings, which showed that many families did not have a computer at home, making it harder for clients to use virtual admissions, telehealth, therapy, and education services. Digitunity offers free refurbished computers to Canopy clients, paired with digital literacy workshops aimed to equip families with the skills needed to use their new devices.

In May 2026, Canopy Children's Solutions celebrated the graduation of 22 participants from the digital literacy workshop, who received free refurbished laptops. The Indianola event paired laptop access with hands-on training, helping families use their computers safely and effectively. Since early 2025, Digitunity has directed 499 computers to those in need, showing how one event fits into a larger effort to make computer ownership possible.

In April 2026, Coahoma Community College held a launch event in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where 25 students and residents from Bolivar, Coahoma, Quitman, Tallahatchie, and Tunica counties received refurbished laptops, along with setup support to use their computers for coursework, job applications, and other essential tasks. Coahoma Community College is the trusted local organization connecting students and residents across the Delta to computers, while Digitunity, AT&T Mississippi, and local media helped bring visibility and support to the launch.

Computer ownership enables students, families, and adult learners to apply for jobs, manage healthcare, complete education online, and participate more fully in daily life. Across Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, these efforts show that getting laptops to people who need them requires more than a device donation. By connecting national resources with trusted local organizations, Digitunity helps shape and strengthen local systems that make computer ownership practical, sustainable, and easier to replicate across communities.

About Digitunity

Computer ownership is essential for education, employment, healthcare, and full participation in the modern economy. Yet nearly 33 million people in the United States don't have a computer of their own. Digitunity is a national nonprofit organization building a coordinated system to make computer ownership possible for everyone. By connecting retired technology from businesses and government with trusted community organizations nationwide, we're pursuing a future where everyone has the technology to participate, compete, and prosper.

About Philanthropy at AT&T

At AT&T, our corporate responsibility work is dedicated to bridging the digital divide across the country. We are committed to providing people of all ages and from every community with the essential resources they need to thrive in the digital era. For generations, we have supported programs that impact millions of individuals nationwide, and since 2021, we have committed $5 billion to initiatives that enhance connectivity, promote digital literacy, and improve access to high-speed internet. Our efforts particularly focus on uplifting underserved communities, including students, older adults, and un- or underemployed individuals, ensuring everyone can participate in the digital world and benefit from its opportunities.

Contact:
Miye McCullough, [email protected]

SOURCE: Digitunity Inc

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K.Hill--AT