Access to computers and technology figures prominently in the operation and success of many of L.A.’s community based organizations. Whether or not these organizations can utilize tools such as the Internet and electronic mailing can literally make or break their ability to communicate, organize, and promote the programs and services they provide.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Ms. Bert Saavedra of the Pico-Union Westlake Cluster Network, a local community agency, located at 141 South Grand Avenue. Ms. Saavedra provides her perspective on the unique ways in which the "Digital Divide" affects community organizations.

CM: We’re studying the concept of the "Digital Divide" and the unequal access that exists around technology, computers and computer literacy. From your vantage point in the work that you do, what do you perceive as the "Digital Divide?"

BS: About five years ago we surveyed the community based organizations in the area to see what the needs were in terms of computer access or Internet access, or even a web page. We found out that the majority of them didn’t have equipment or the proper equipment. To even have internet access, they would have to upgrade their computers. The access they had was very limited and the majority of the training they had was mainly word processing. Excel, mail merge, labels, flyers and all that were things that they weren’t getting into or learning. Software was an issue as well. They needed it and didn’t have the money to purchase it. Part of the work that our organization does in the community is a mini grant process. So, up to last year, we were able to give $7,000 with which to enable some of the organizations to upgrade their computers, their software and to link, or network their computers within their own office environment. Some went out and purchased equipment, but the majority of them were upgrading what they already had in place so they could be more efficient within their own environment. Next, we thought of networking all of the organizations since we were all upgrading, but there were so many more that would have to be upgraded that we’d have to almost find a grant, another $100,000 or something to do that part. So that’s sort of been our introduction to this "Digital Divide".

CM: Outside of the mini grant process, are there other ways in which your organization is working to help increase access to technology for members of the immediate community?

BS: We’re helping to raise funds to create a family research center in the Pico Union area, closer to the southeastern border of the area. We have computer access with other community resource centers, but they’re not close enough to this particular part of Pico-Union, so we hope to open a family research center in July and then equip it with a full computer environment. That was another reason for trying to network with those agencies that already have that technological capability. There are four agencies that I’m aware of in the area that already have the capacity, but they’re not networked or hooked up to other agencies. If we could network our center with theirs, students could have access as needed to the Internet, a web page or just to communicate with another student in another part of Pico-Union.

CM: What types of services would the family resource center provide?

BS: We want to give training classes to students and also the seniors that come to the senior program there. So it’ll be a computer environment where there’ll be classes for all ages.

"I’d like to see all agencies have a web site in Pico-Union so we can interact, know what services are available within our community and just keep up!"

CM: What are you envisioning as the amount of people that it will be able to service?

BS: We have 5,700 square feet and we’re hoping to have sixty computers. So, hopefully, as groups rotate in and out we’ll be able to do a considerable number during the month, especially for the year-round students that are off track. We want to have an environment where they can come and do research or come just to be curious and explore. I would say, with sixty computers, if we rotate in and out, easily 500 individuals will have some kind of access to a computer on a monthly basis.

CM: That sounds fantastic. You mentioned earlier that one of the challenges to making such a place capable of being utilized to its full "technological and social potential" has been the inability of the many community agencies to network electronically for greater coordination and focus. What are some of the ways your organization is helping?

BS: We’re on the Web, but our site is not interactive. So we’d like to have an interactive site and that’s our next step. We also have a directory that has 300 listings of the services in the community that we upgrade every two years, but we want to have that interactive as well. We have a ways to go with our own capacity for technology, but once we’re there we’ll be able to hopefully connect with other agencies and help them get over that hurdle as well. I’d like to see all agencies have a web site in Pico-Union so we can interact, know what services are available within our community and just keep up!

CM: It sounds like you have your work cut out for you. We wish you luck.

BS: Thank you.

:. tcla

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