“I wanted to express my gratitude and wish to thank you personally for the laptop and data pack you have provided me with. I’m also very grateful to the team. I loved it, and every time I see it, I am reminded of the Waterloo Community counselling team and the amazing help and support you are providing to myself and others. It works very well and I will take very good care of it and let it be useful and worthwhile.”
During May and June 2023, the WCC office distributed 20 refurbished Lenovo laptops to socially and digitally isolated clients who do not have their own computer. The devices, donated by the Good Things Foundation are free and came with 40 GB of data a month for 6 months.
As a counselling service which adapted its services because of the pandemic and lockdowns, we recognise it is vital that people have access to technology and an internet connection which allows them to engage in important health and wellbeing services, as well as staying in contact with friends and family and taking part in education and training opportunities.
Gerel (not her real name), a Mongolian asylum-seeker and single mum living in London with her two young children. She had this to say about the scheme.
“…I was so happy that I can able to use internet and laptop because place I staying there is no Wi-Fi and also i have no laptop or tablet anything! I always struggle to communicate with my kids school news and take online classes. Since I have laptop with internet I am so so happy to attend all my online class and get news even sometimes when I struggle with my mental health I can access to internet and watch some movie or listen to some meditation or podcast etc. It’s really changed me and my 2 little toddlers day activities, because they use laptop to watch cartoons etc…”