Since the Fall of 2019, human-I-T has worked to close the digital divide in Detroit alongside a network of passionate partners. We have spent the past few months preparing for our official move to the city, marking the open of our second regional location!
We’re excited to announce that we have taken the next step to maximize our impact in the city by obtaining the keys to our new Detroit warehouse facility! Making a home for ourselves in Detroit has a special significance to us; our Co-Founder, James Jack, has made it his mission to give back to the community that raised him. He has been eager to scale human-I-T into the city since our organization’s founding 8 years ago, and we are thrilled to see his vision come to life.
Soon, we’ll be ready to begin operations in the Detroit warehouse, allowing us to collect e-waste from local companies, which will then be refurbished by local trainees and redistributed back to underserved residents. Once our warehouse operations are established, human-I-T plans to open a storefront. This will serve as a hub for Detroit residents to purchase discounted devices and take advantage of all the services we have to offer: technical support, low-cost internet sign-up assistance, digital literacy training, and more!
Our newly established physical presence in the city will allow us to help as many low-income residents as we can in the country’s most disconnected city. Regardless of what stage of life an individual is in, access to the digital world has become a prerequisite for prosperity. That’s why we work so hard to ensure low-income students can access remote learning tools, single mothers can seek out support services, the elderly can access vital telehealth resources, and low-income folks can access skill-building resources and job boards. human-I-T is committed to providing Detroit residents in need with proper technology so that they are able to access the multitude of crucial resources and opportunities that live exclusively online today.
Launching in Detroit is only possible with our amazing partners, all of whom are addressing the digital divide in meaningful ways. human-I-T has cultivated partnerships with incredible entities including the General Motors Foundation, The Quicken Loans Community Fund, the McGregor Fund, and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. Each helped carved our path to the City with generous donations to support our launch.
Notable city partnerships also include the Mayor’s Office, Detroit Housing Commission, the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Public Schools Community District, and the City’s Director of Digital Inclusion, Mr. Joshua Edmonds. We have also had the opportunity to partner with organizations such as Detroit Public Schools Foundation, Focus:HOPE, Grand Circus, Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT), and Urban Alliance. These collaborators have all played an integral role in helping us reach this incredible milestone.
We are eager to begin operations in Detroit and to continue our work toward closing the digital divide once and for all.
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