Comcast Logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Comcast Philadelphia & New Jersey

  • About
  • Contact
  • Careers

How Two Local Nonprofits Are Working with Comcast to Support Immigrants

January 31, 2023

The pandemic has exacerbated our city’s digital divide. This is especially true for Philadelphia’s immigrant communities, which are often at a disadvantage when it comes to adopting digital tools and digital skills training. As a result, they are precluded from some of the fundamental benefits of digital connectivity. Working with Welcome.US, a national initiative built to assist refugees, Comcast is supporting two local nonprofits dedicated to immigrant advancement and inclusion— awarding a $15,000 grant and 250 laptops to the Welcoming Center and 1,000 laptops to Nationalities Service Center. For these two Philly nonprofits, the past few years have provided an opportunity for greater impact.

Efforts to equip communities with the technology they need and increase Internet adoption are part of Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity. Comcast has made a $1 billion commitment to connect people to the Internet as a means of advancing economic mobility and opening doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and creators. And, with Comcast’s participation in the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides eligible low-income households with a credit of up to $30 per month toward the cost of their Internet and/or mobile service, the Internet is more affordable and accessible than ever before.

The program is a reminder that making measurable impact for our immigrant community starts with addressing the basics.

“Our focus traditionally has been on helping connect people to employment but also to start and grow businesses,” says Peter Gonzales, President and CEO of the Welcoming Center, a nonprofit that promotes inclusive economic growth through immigrant integration and has been serving Philadelphia’s immigrant population for 20 years. “Language is the common barrier that most of our participants face—we can’t connect them to larger opportunities without that English language foundation. That is why we developed courses specifically for English as a Second Language and integrated this with all of our other programming.”

Since joining the Welcoming Center 10 years ago, Gonzales says their programming has grown and evolved.

“About eight years ago, we launched the International Professionals Program, designed to support immigrants coming to the U.S. with a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent,” he says. “Instead of helping them connect to a gateway job or an entry-level job, we help them think through how they can apply their experience and education in the U.S. market. The goal is to get immigrants back into their chosen profession, into careers that require the skills and training they already have.”

For Margaret O’Sullivan, Executive Director of W (NSC), meeting essential needs starts before individuals even set foot in Philadelphia.

“We bring people in, we help them find safety through resettlement and anti-human trafficking programs,” says O’Sullivan, who began her humanitarian career with the Red Cross, working both locally in Philadelphia and internationally, before joining NSC in 2014. “We meet their basic human needs, and then once those needs are met, we work with them on economic opportunity, English proficiency, and gaining legal status in the U.S.”

NSC works to welcome and aid immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers by putting them on a path to self-sufficiency and creating a safe and permanent residency. Tiffany Thompson, the Director of Education and Economic Opportunity at NSC, is incredibly proud of the work she and her team do for Philadelphia’s immigrants and refugees.

“We offer a holistic approach—it’s not about one area. We do case management, we do employment programs, we do therapy, and the list goes on and on,” says Thompson. “The employment and language pieces are two critical things that our clients need to be successful and independent in the United States, so we take that very seriously. We give everything that we have to each client that walks through our doors, and we are dedicated to giving them all the services that they might need.”

While the Welcoming Center and NSC fill distinct community roles, both help new Americans with acquiring computers, affordable Internet, and digital skills training, so a partnership with Comcast made sense.

“If you aren’t connected digitally, especially during the pandemic, you’re not getting grants, you’re not getting a doctor’s appointment as easily, you’re not getting your bills paid—so many things we all depend on and many of us take for granted,” says Gonzales. “And of course, you’re not connecting socially. So much of our programming went online in the past few years. You needed to be able to log in, certainly at the height of the of the pandemic. When Comcast came in with 250 laptops and a $15,000 grant, that was a shot in the arm that we needed.”

“Before the pandemic even began, Comcast had helped us fund our digital literacy lab. Once the pandemic hit, their support only increased,” says Thompson. “With their partnership, they provided us with over 1,000 laptops for our clients. We were able to host virtual ESL classes, our clients were able to stay in contact with their case managers, attend therapy appointments, even have conversations with attorneys to talk and navigate through the legal systems. It has been so great.”

Addressing the digital divide in our city requires a multipronged approach and collaboration with organizations that already have deep roots in the community. This is something that Comcast recognizes as it works to increase digital equity in Philadelphia.

“We love working with incredible community organizations like the Welcoming Center and NSC,” says Bob Smith, Vice President of Community Impact for Comcast’s Freedom Region. “The data is clear: As goes the success of our immigrant communities, so goes the success of our city. The Welcoming Center and NSC’s tireless efforts make a true and tangible change in our city, and Comcast is proud to stand with them as we work to improve digital equity and increase economic opportunity for all Philadelphians.”

Filed Under: Community Investment
Tagged With: 2023, Affordable Connectivity Program, Community Investment, January, Nationalities Service Center, nonprofit, Philadelphia, Project Up, The Welcoming Center, Welcome.US

Community Investment

HomeWorks Trenton Scholars visit Comcast Technology Center

Girl Power: Trenton teens meet with female technologists, engineers at Comcast

February 3, 2023

A group of ten young women from HomeWorks in Trenton recently traveled to Philadelphia to tour the Comcast Technology Center and meet with members of Comcast’s … Read More...

Customer Experience

Upper Dublin Xfinity Store team.

Comcast Unveils Interactive Xfinity Store in Upper Dublin

March 27, 2023

Comcast today announced the opening of an Xfinity Store in Upper Dublin. With this new store, which replaces its original location in nearby Willow Grove, there … Read More...

Comcast Business

Comcast Business Completes $2 Million Fiber Broadband Expansion to Philadelphia’s Food Distribution Center

September 15, 2022

Comcast Business today announced the completion of a $2 million fiber network expansion to serve Philadelphia's Food Distribution Center. Located around Packer … Read More...

Events

A member of the armed forces holds an American flag.

A Veterans Day Special Salute – 200 American Flags Retired

November 19, 2019

Comcast is committed to supporting veterans and the broader military community – both inside the company and out. One example is our Veterans Network Employee … Read More...

Terms of Service. Privacy Policy. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Copyright © 2023 Comcast Corporation. All rights reserved.

Comcast Logo

This site uses cookies to enable your digital experience. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the use of cookies as described in our Privacy Policy.

I agree
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo