New Computer Lab Inaugurated Today At The Kensington Family Shelter

A new computer lab was inaugurated today at the Kensington Family Shelter — with the goal of helping homeless families “bridge the digital divide.”

The Rogosin Institute has donated 21 Apple Mac computers and a printer to the Kensington Family Shelter on McDonald Avenue, creating a new computer lab for use by both children and their parents.

Since opening in December, the Kensington now houses 64 homeless families. Shelter staff provide ongoing case management to help families become stabilized and find jobs and permanent housing.

Executives and staff from the Manhattan-based Rogosin Institute and CAMBA, which operates the Kensington, were joined today at the new lab by resident families, the City’s Department of Homeless Services, elected officials and community members.

“Beautiful” was how Council Member Brad Lander described the new lab.

The computer lab will provide a place for older children to do homework and apply to high schools, and for parents to search on-line for jobs and housing, along with a myriad of other tasks that require a computer. The lab will also offer computer skills training, resume writing, and other technology classes for families.

Installation of the lab is part of a larger initiative to provide homeless children and their families with the technological tools they need to participate successfully in society, the Department of Homeless Services said in a statement.

The Rogosin Institute provides clinical care for people with kidney and other chronic diseases. According to CAMBA, the Institute has a history of community engagement, and has supported computer clubs in Romania and Bulgaria, which provide computer access and skills training to about 2,000 youth.