A Gaston MIddle School student is surprised with a new laptop Thursday courtesy of Comcast. Photo by Frank Lopez

Southwest Fresno is getting a bridge across the digital divide with an investment from Comcast. 

Comcast representatives, Southwest Fresno school students, and city leaders gathered at Saint Rest Baptist Church Thursday morning to celebrate the launch of Comcast’s “Lift Zone” providing free WiFi access to help connect youth, their families, seniors and community members to educational opportunities and the digital economy. 

Comcast donated $25,000 to Saint Rest Baptist Church to help create a new computer lab that will provide digital literacy training. 

Comcast also donated more than 200 laptops to students from Gaston Middle School and Columbia Elementary who are involved in the church’s educational programs. 

 

With this launch, Comcast now has 16 “Lift Zones” in Fresno County. 

Members of St. Rest Baptist Church, including Pastor David J. “DJ” Criner Jr., were joined by Fresno Deputy Mayor Matthew Grundy, Councilmember Miguel Arias, Comcast Executive Vice President of Public Policy and Digital Equity Broderick Johnson and Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson. 

“For adults, like your parents, or your older siblings, they will be able to come here to get online for work, or to look for and apply for jobs,” Johnson said to the students. “Your grandparents and parents can get online to stay in touch with their families and friends, maybe even with people who live in other states to get together for prayer services.”  

Grundy said the donation marks an ongoing investment in the youth of Southwest Fresno.

“Investing in areas like eliminating the digital divide matters,” Grundy said. “Investing in areas that ultimately help you thrive matters. We need you now and we need to equip you now.”

Saint Rest Baptist Church is located in District 3, represented by Arias, who said the area is benefiting from heavy investment in schools, public transportation and new homes to support the future. 

“We are investing in you, hoping that one day, if you leave Fresno, you get educated, you return back to Fresno to live and raise your family,” Arias told the students. “Make sure you do right by your parents, you succeed, and you give back—they’re going to need you when you come back.”

Thursday’s launch is part of Project Up, a  $1 billion commitment to reach millions of people with the tools, resources and skills needed to succeed in a digital world.