The Aeras Foundation believes technology is not a luxury but a necessity. We support over 150 non-profits with gently used technology for the non-profits themselves and the tens of thousands of underserved in the Central Florida region. The Aeras Foundation believes that what may initially appear as a technology issue is a socioeconomic issue impacting lower-income families who do not have the same level of access to technology due to cost barriers.

Technology does not have any discrimination with age, gender, ethnicity, religion, ability, sexual identity, education, and national origin. The Aeras Foundation epitomizes "leveling the playing field" and providing critical access to these resources. The Aeras Foundation delivers necessary technology to seniors, pre-schools, and K-12 and supports college-age students who cannot purchase technology.

The Aeras Foundation has been mission critical with single mothers unable to put food on the table or who sleep in their cars and need a second chance to work remotely. So often in Central Florida, churches of all denominations become homes, schools, and mental health safe havens. During the pandemic, the Zebra Coalition went to the Aeras Foundation as their teenagers were bullied so fiercely that they did not want to attend school. Many deliveries were made to the Zebra Coalition, and the students began learning from hotel rooms and safe houses, obtaining GEDs, working remotely, and beginning to feel included in the new world.

Central Florida is also a great melting pot of residents of various national origins who use technology to improve their English speaking skills. The Aeras Foundation assisted with this alongside Rosen Hotels, UCF Global, and Orange County Government to ensure the front-line workers on International Drive improved their status and salaries, as many need to gain the English speaking fluency of their peers.

The Aeras Foundation ensures employers, employees, constituents, and the community have the same access to critical, life-saving wrap-around services and ensures they improve the generational cycle of poverty.

Over the last three years, The Aeras Foundation established eight Computer Labs throughout Central Florida, ensuring students could work after school to learn if technology was unavailable at home. Over 100 community partners have been established by The Aeras Foundation, including Morgan and Morgan, Universal, PepsiCo, Full Sail, UCF CREATE, and WFTV Channel 9, to name a few. The core of the Aeras Foundation's success is the over 50 Aeras Ambassadors, who are high school students with sales, technical, and, more importantly, empathic skills to work on devices, package them, and make deliveries to their peers not as fortunate. Over three years, the Aeras Foundation has held fifteen Tech Drives at local businesses and schools. It is also in its third year with over 85 UPS Stores that co-sponsor its Annual Digital Divide Drive to ensure everyone can participate when school is back in session.

Aeras Foundation intentionally embraces the underserved population daily. Over 3000 devices have been distributed, which impacts tens of thousands of individuals and includes community centers for the Coalition for the Homeless, Boys & Girls Clubs, Grays Project in Parramoore, and so many more. This summer, they are deploying 100 laptops to the Tech Sassy Girls, young females of color who are incredibly bright with little means.

The Aeras Foundation Board, staff, and volunteers all represent all the DE&I pillars internally and externally.

While the laptops, iMacs, iPads, and iPhones directly impacted Grace Medical, we would like to share the story of one of our constituents. A little boy was hard of hearing, and when he left school could not take his iPad home with a translation program that would allow him to communicate with his mother and siblings. The Aeras Foundation provided the latest iPad (twice) so that he could have a level playing ground with all his peers and speak with his mother again.

The Aeras Foundation is closing the Digital Divide gap, disproportionately impacting low-income and underserved communities. They are training corporate America on how to reuse and refresh and make an impact on their communities and the environment. They have also responsibly recycled almost 40,000 pounds of electronic waste to ensure our planet is cared for by future generations.

The issue is never about the device; it is a second chance, an ability to break the cycle of poverty, a diploma, a telehealth call for suicide prevention, or the opportunity for a hard-of-hearing little boy to tell his mother that he loves her. 

During these critical summer months, the need for basic living requirements is heightened.  Please consider making a donation so we can serve our underserved. 

Sincerely,