Community Corner

YARN Foundation Making Strides Toward Computer Lab

NetComm pitching in to help local nonprofit.

The Foundation is about to become a whole lot more tech-savvy.

The brand new nonprofit aimed at helping young people and their local communities, is getting an assist from , a local business solution provider, to provide a computer lab for the facility in Boulder Hill.

Mike Pfeiffer and Jeff Corirossi of NetComm first found out about YARN (Youth and Restoring Nations) through the where both are members and Pfeiffer is also an ambassador.

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“Computers are our business and a lot of times a foundation like YARN, who is looking to do some educational work for the youth, need some computer equipment,” said Pfeiffer. “There will be people who find an old one in their basement and donate it, but you end up with a bunch of things that aren’t conducive to having a classroom.”

So NetComm is looking to remedy that by providing YARN with a computer lab, consisting of 25 computers that are all updated with secure networks and linked to one another.

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To do so, NetComm is donating 100 percent of their IT consulting fees for the first two hours for all new customers. The company specializes in small and medium sized businesses.

“A new customer will basically buy a computer for the lab,” said Pfeiffer. “If we get 25 people booked, that basically will furnish the lab with 25 new computers.”

For those scratching their heads as to what IT consulting fees might include, Pfeiffer says that Jeff will do “Pretty much anything and everything. Viruses, recovery, whatever computer issues they have, we’ll give them two hours of whatever they need,” said Pfeiffer. “Jeff is very good at what he does.”

NetComm has an unofficial deadline of Aug. 31 for companies to utilize the deal. The computers will be installed as the money is raised, so that there will be computers available as soon as possible.

Deborah Anthony, Vice-president of YARN, said the computers that NetComm will be donating will be used for GED testing.

“We are looking to be an official GED testing site where kids 16-21 can come and get their GED as part of test is computer based," she said. "We also want to have computers accessible to kids who don’t have computers at home.”

YARN has a tentative opening date of June 15 and Anthony said the wiring for the computers is being done right now.

“Jeff came over and told us what we’d need to do to get everything ready. He’s been really great," she said.

YARN is always looking for volunteers to help with the building construction, or donations.

“When we have our painting days we’ll invite everyone out,” said Anthony. “I know some aren’t quite comfortable with construction, but the painting should be a lot of fun. That’ll happen in about three weeks.”

John Anthony, Deborah’s husband and president of YARN, said the two are very excited about opening the facility.

“We’re out there every Saturday, rain or shine, during the week, getting ready to change the world,” he said.


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