Donated laptops Help Veterans Stay Connected
When the coronavirus pandemic began, having a reliable way of getting online became vital. In-person interactions were limited, forcing many of us to turn to our laptops and smartphones. For those without such devices, navigating life became a challenge, and led to some Veterans unable to connect.
Albert Dabney (U.S. Marine Corps,1982-86) was one of them. His laptop overheats and shuts down after only a few minutes of use, so accomplishing his goal of teaching at the collegiate level has been put on hold as he cannot attend online courses for his Ph.D. in information technology. His local library was closed for months during the beginning of the pandemic, and when it did reopen access to the computer lab was limited to only a few hours at a time.
“There’s only so much you can do with your phone,” the 59-year-old Leimert Park resident said. “It’s difficult to do pretty much anything without a computer these days. You certainly can’t apply for a lot of jobs. People want everything filed online.”
Dabney’s future is looking brighter thanks to help from Vocational Rehabilitation services at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.
Dabney received a new laptop, donated to VA during the pandemic when it became clear that people were struggling to get online while quarantining at home. The West LA VA has distributed nearly 100 laptops to Veterans from across the southland, allowing them to apply for jobs, attend vocational classes remotely, and stay in touch with family, friends, battle buddies, and their healthcare providers.
“Having stable access to the internet is vital, not just for employment but also staying connected to your community circle,” said Ron Simmons (U.S. Air Force, 1985-90, Army National Guard, 2004-13), a vocational rehab specialist with VA. Simmons often visits Veterans who have limited to no computer skills. They tend to be older, live in remote areas, and are most in need of online access to receive care. (Read more about VA’s Office of Connected Care.)
Dabney, who found his way out of homelessness with help from a VA HUD-VASH voucher, received his laptop at the West Adams WorkSource Center, a VA partner providing job training and computer skills classes.VA staff were in attendance, helping Veterans fill out the necessary forms to receive their laptops.
The Veterans in attendance were afforded the opportunity to learn how to use the computers efficiently and sign up for free education certification courses through the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Division of Adult and Career Education.
“With this device you literally have access to every piece of knowledge developed … in human history, with access to nearly every single person on the planet,” Mark Lawrence with LAUSD said as he held up one of the donated laptops. “We’re here to help you use these computers in a way that is truly powerful.”
Peter Stigers is the station chief of Veterans Community Employee Development and helped facilitate the distribution of the laptops. He encourages Veterans to tap into all resources available that can improve computer literacy and help people embrace technology, as it is an integral part of employment.
“What we are seeing is that no matter what the employment opportunity is, computers and technology will undoubtedly be involved,” Stigers said. “For most jobs, employers will expect candidates to have at least some basic computer skills. Our goal is to help Veterans strengthen their skills and confidence to secure their competitive employment goals.”
Veteran Ralph Dell-Bovi (U.S. Army, 1975-79) has put his laptop to good use. After losing his job at the beginning of the pandemic, Dell-Bovi said he was “limping along with a busted computer,” trying to hunt for another job.
“Looking for work when you’re a 66-year-old is tough,” Dell-Bovi said.
With support from his VA vocational rehabilitation specialist Dell-Bovi used his new laptop to secure an internship as a mechanic on the West LA VA campus. He’s earned certifications to add to his resume and is now working as a groundskeeper at the West LA VA Medical Center. He’s developed presentations, drafted multiple cover letters and become more engaged with VA.
“For a Veteran to not have a computer, it’s a terrible time. It really is. There’s almost nothing you can do anymore without a computer,” Dell-Bovi added. “We have a lot of talented Veterans. Some have fallen on hard times in life. It’s not a crime to not have a job, but it is a crime to not have the resources you need to apply for one, and the VA has some great resources and partners to help.”
For more information about Vocational Rehabilitation call 310-478-3711, ext. 41042, or email vhaglavcedcommunityemploymentcoordinatorteam@va.gov.