The Hidden Cost Of Being Offline

We connect the digital divide to real financial consequences, from job access and school success to budgeting tools that assume you have a laptop at home. Nicole Fitzgerald from CACRC shows why “being disconnected” costs more than dollars and how refurbished computers can change a family’s future. 
• why a laptop or desktop still matters in 2026 
• what the digital divide means beyond a cell phone 
• hidden costs of relying on libraries for computer access 
• how online banking and budgeting apps change money habits 
• why seniors often need larger screens for financial tasks 
• CACRC’s approach to recycling electronics and refurbishing devices 
• real success stories of jobs gained and stability restored 
• ways to donate electronics, give money, or volunteer in Louisiana 
Subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast, and visit neighborsfcu.org slash financial wellness for more tools to help you build a strong financial future. 

Transcript

Welcome And Why Disconnection Costs

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need, and save the money you want. Now, here is your host, Ms. Kim Chapman.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Welcome to Money Matters, where we teach you how to use the money you have, make the money you need, and save the money you want. You might be wondering, where's Kim? This isn't Kim. I'm Betty Mujica Milano, and today I have the pleasure of filling in for Kimberly Chapman while we discuss the digital technology divide, which I am interested to hear more about. You know, there's a hidden cost of being disconnected. When we hear the word disconnected, we usually think about losing internet service or having a dead cell phone or not having the internet or something like that. But what if the most expensive disconnection isn't just being disconnected from technology, but what happens when that happens to you? Like disconnection from people, from purpose, from work, from school, um, and from your maybe financial future.

Meet CACRC And The Mission

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Um, so I want to welcome our guest. Can you introduce yourself?

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Hey everyone, I'm Nicole Fitzgerald, and I am the director of development at CACRC. If you're from Baton Rouge, you may know us as the place that recycles computers, but we're also a place that works towards bringing digital access and bridging the digital divide in our community. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Can you tell us what CACRC means?

SPEAKER_02 1:30

CACRC is the Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council. It is a mouthful. So is CACRC.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Awesome. And what is your role there? I'm the director of development. Okay, perfect. So can you tell us a little bit about your mission and who benefits from your services?

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Okay, so our mission is twofold. We recycle electronics to keep things out of the landfill, but we also refurbish electronics and work towards build bridging the digital divide. So in Louisiana, approximately one in five families don't have a computer in their home. And a lot of people don't think of a computer as an essential tool. People still think of it as a luxury unless they don't have one. We realize that in 2026, a computer is used for homework. It's used for job applications, it's used for resume building, it's used for job training, it's used for budgeting apps and software, it's used for telehealth services. And really, it's even used for connection to friends and family. And so not having a computer in the home creates a barrier to access of many of those essential

What Counts As The Digital Divide

SPEAKER_02 2:53

tools.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

So is that what we're talking about when we talk about the digital divide? The people who have access and the people who don't.

SPEAKER_02 2:59

Correct. When we talk about the digital divide, we're talking about the people who don't have access to a computer in their home. And we're stating that as a laptop or a desktop, not just a cell phone, and or people who don't have internet in the home.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Okay. I was gonna ask that if the laptop, desktop versus cell phone um question comes up, because I know a lot of people these days rely on their phones.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

Right. A lot most people at this point do have cell phones, but a lot of things just aren't cell phone friendly. Things like job applications, they're not easy to do with just your thumbs or any kind of government application, or telehealth services don't even like you to use your phone. So the access component, the computer access, we're talking specifically about a laptop, a desktop, and sometimes even a tablet, but those are sometimes difficult for some applications as well.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Yeah, I agree. I I'm firmly a millennial and I grew up with laptop culture. Um, watching movies on a laptop uh was kind of primary mode of entertainment when I was in college. So I still am very we have a laptop in the home that my daughter gets to use uh for her homework and for games and things like that, um, as well as like all of kind of the business stuff that we do uh for our family.

Hidden Costs Beyond The Device

SPEAKER_01 4:30

So can you tell me a little bit about the hidden costs of uh the digital divide and of not having access?

SPEAKER_02 4:37

Uh people don't think about everything we do, but job applications, job training, uh resume building, teleconferences, you know, Zoom calls, all of those things we rely on our computer, but also things like budgeting apps, spreadsheets, Excel, even if you're you're using an old-fashioned budget and you're just using an Excel sheet. Not having a computer and doing that by hand, yes, it can be done. But when your bank is your banking information is also online, it's a lot easier to have access to it all in an online platform.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

That makes

Why Louisiana Gaps Persist

SPEAKER_01 5:20

sense. Why why is it that um you said one in five families in Louisiana don't have a computer or internet access in their home?

SPEAKER_02 5:28

Obviously, there's there's a small population that that's their choice, but typically when we look at the digital divide, we see overlapping statistics of high instances of poverty as well as low educational proficiency. Uh I've done a lot of research on the data looking at populations, the poverty line, the and the Department of Education economically disadvantaged. Those numbers vary greatly. Yeah and I had to look at why. Like, why is this parish having a 18% population, but it says their schools have a 75% economic disadvantage. Right. So that comes into play with anyone receiving any kind of SNAP benefits or Medicaid or uh Social Security benefits, those all play into the economically disadvantaged. And so you may be above the poverty line and receive some sort of assistance that puts you into that category. So, and then we're seeing in a lot of the parishes where there's high poverty, low digital access, there's also low academic proficiency. And a lot of people are like, okay, we'll just bring back the pen and paper as an educator. I agree, kids learn best with pen and paper. However, that's not what is happening in our schools. All of the textbooks per se are on some sort of online platform. And even though most of the state has a one-to-one or close to one-to-one computer to student ratio, elementary students across the board are not allowed to bring their computers home.

SPEAKER_03 7:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

But in many places, middle and high school students aren't either. So they have access to a device during the school hours, but when it comes to homework, many times they don't have that basic access. And as a parent, as a former teacher, I can tell you teachers just aren't assigning homework on paper because they there's an assumption that everyone has access. And so then people say, well, libraries have computers, they can go there. It's true, but libraries close at 6 p.m. or 8 p.m., you know, depending on where you're located. And you have to factor in the time that it takes to drive there, the the time you're spending there while a parent could be cooking or taking a sibling elsewhere working from their house. And so those are some of the hidden costs. It's not just the device. It's if you don't have one, you're also having to use your resources and your time to get to a public space that has computers.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Absolutely. Um, yeah. And honestly, you know, you're speaking to someone who's never been part of the digital divide, got a desktop when we were kids, and I've pretty much always had a computer in our home, and our daughters now have access to the same resources. And so when we go to the library, it's just for fun to check out books, and we're not having to, you know, be mindful of that. So I think that that's actually really, really um eye-opening and good. It's always good to just know more about the way other people live, I

Money Tools That Assume Tech

SPEAKER_01 9:01

think. Um so you kind of touched on like the financial aspect of like budgeting and like the way we budget now versus the way people used to do it. And obviously, there's so many apps and tools. So can you tell me a little bit about how you see the way that like managing our finances has changed with technology?

SPEAKER_02 9:21

I remember when I was a teenager and I had my first bank account. You know, my mom gave me the checkbook and showed me this is how we maintain our check register. And now people don't use checks, so they're not maintaining a check register. You have to pretty much depend on online banking. And some people don't ever write down this is how much is in my bank and keep track of it. But online banking is the start. You know, that's just where we go. We can see what we've spent, we can see how much is in our account, we can do transactions to put it into savings or into a retirement account, all with a click of a button. But also, you know, people rely on budgeting apps, things like Rocket Money. I mean, we see it all over the apps, but they do. They track, they see if you have multiple accounts on accident in the same company, the same, and so they help you organize online things that you may have missed. And because everything happens with just a click, it's easy to accidentally subscribe twice to some sort of service and not realize it. Yeah. And everything comes out automatically. So having online tracking tools help us know where our money is going well because we're not having to take the physical action of spending the money. Or we almost think PayPal and Cash App is like fake money because it's not, it doesn't feel like a real transaction.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Yeah.

unknown 11:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

That's yeah, you're right. I mean, you really are right. It's like, again, coming, you know, from where I come from, like, you know, I grew up with more cash and cards and things. And nowadays, younger people, it's like everything is truly digital. Like they're not often even touching a dollar bill, um, which is crazy to think about. It's crazy. Um, no, that that makes sense. So yeah, somebody, somebody who's trying to get, you know, on track with their finances, a laptop is kind of integral to being able to utilize online banking tools to the max, which not to plug, but we do have a new online banking platform here at Neighbors that just uh launched. And again, all of that um to serve our members better um and give them more access to the tools that we offer. Um so you need a laptop too.

SPEAKER_02 12:01

I think I'm not I don't bank it, neighbors. Sorry, everyone. It's okay. But the what is happening with online banking with our banks has grown a lot, even just in the last five years. And so with mine, it shows me how much I'm spending on eating out or entertainment or bills, and the budgeting is now integrated into your online banking account if you want it to be.

SPEAKER_03 12:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Um, it sh it not only shows you where you're spending it and gives you a nice little pie chart to see, it can help you plan efficiently to spend better and to save better. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

No, that that's totally true. And I think as someone who kind of primarily looks at my bank account from my uh from my cell phone, I would say that those tools don't pop out to me as much as when I do go to my bank account from a laptop or a computer. Um, because it's such a small screen.

SPEAKER_02 13:06

Well, think about our senior citizen population who started off in a world with cash and checks, and they're having to convert to how life is now. And so one comment we get from a lot of our customers is they're looking for a desktop or a laptop for an elderly parent because they can't see their banking information from a phone. And you know, phone is convenient for a lot of us because it's in our hands, it's with us everywhere we go. But when we think of people our parents' age and older, our grandparents' age, they're needing something that is more accessible.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

And the computer makes a lot of things more accessible and just easier to navigate than a phone app. And so most budgeting platforms and banking platforms look differently from on a phone. They're programmed where they look one way on a phone and they look a different way on your computer screen. And so if you're just wanting to quickly check your account information, how much do I have? What's my most recent transaction? Something like that. The phone is sufficient. If you're really wanting to look at your bank statements, it's gonna be a lot easier to do on a computer. If you're wanting to look at the graphs that show you where you've been spending, that's easier to see and navigate on a computer.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

Absolutely. So you mentioned customers, which has me my my curiosity

How CACRC Gets Laptops To Families

SPEAKER_01 14:47

piqued. So, how does somebody come to you and and how does the process work?

SPEAKER_02 14:52

We have a storefront. So in our facility where we recycle and refurbish, we have a storefront. We're located at 1400 Main Street in Baton Rouge. Oh, perfect. We also have an online store that people who are out of Baton Rouge can access. So that's Computers for Louisiana Families.com. And those are two ways that people access getting a low-cost, high-quality devices. We are working towards bringing pop-up shops to different areas all over Louisiana, and that's really exciting. Uh, we're looking to partner with anyone really, but banks, libraries, community organizations, schools, because in areas where there is low access to computers and or internet, there also tends to be not many places nearby where they can purchase a computer or have a computer serviced. And so that provides an additional barrier, you know.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

Yeah, absolutely. So, okay, let's let's do a pretend scenario. Okay, I'm this isn't pretend because I do actually have two children, but I'm a mother of a five-year-old and a one-year-old, and I don't have uh, you know, a laptop or a desktop in my home. Um, and I'm looking for something for $200. That's what I that's what I have.

SPEAKER_02 16:25

Are you able to make that happen for me? Not only can we get you a computer, we can put, we can make sure you have Microsoft Office on it as well. So in our storefront, we have a program called Computers for Louisiana Families, where we're able to, we already have discounted technology and we can offer a further discount. Uh, but our even without that, our starting rate for a computer with Windows 11 is about $160. And then we can get Microsoft Office to you for $30. Wow. So that's great. That's that's a lot, that's a lot cheaper than I I would have imagined. And then we we also have some Chromebooks. Now, sorry everyone, if you really love a Chromebook, but as an educator, I say Chromebooks are kind of like computers but broken. I shouldn't say that as the digital technology, but Chromebooks are are what most of our students are using in schools. They're easy for the students to navigate, they have to have internet to be used. They you can access the Google Suite. We have Chromebooks that we can we keep in the storefront for $79.99. But if someone's like, I just really can't afford that, well, we're gonna go down to what they can afford. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

Yeah, that makes

Tech Skills Education And Financial Literacy

SPEAKER_01 17:46

sense. So I guess speaking about Chromebooks being kind of the primary tool for kids in a lot of schools, like what do you think the, I mean, this is kind of a big question, but like the influence of technology in education and uh kind of setting the the scene for future earning potential?

SPEAKER_02 18:05

Uh technology and and uh and education. Obviously, people focus a lot on the problems with it, but it's not going anywhere. We need to uh teach our students how to use their computers well. Shame on us if a student finishes high school and they don't have the ability to type, or they don't have the ability to access financial literacy tools, or they don't have the ability to even know how to do some online investing. Um, Louisiana legislator has required that schools, that high schools begin to offer a financial literacy class, which is amazing. We're all celebrating that, but they haven't put any standards to it. So that's also financial literacy-wise, that should be a priority with our education, with um the Bessie board. They're the ones who and the Department of Education they establish standards. Yeah. So now that this is a requirement, hey everyone, you're required to take financial literacy. It the next step is to be standards and how to bring that financial literacy and combine it with the use of technology. Because if we're teaching financial literacy the same way we taught it in 1997, the basics are there, but the tools are different.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Right. Right. It's like teaching something conceptually versus teaching something like actionable. Right. I always talk about actionable things in my family. And yeah, so it's like a difference between like graduating from that class or passing that class and actually being able to leave the class knowing how to set up a budget for you.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

Set up a budget, do your taxes. I mean, that's online. Yeah. And it's not hard to do online. Yeah. And people always are like, you should learn how to do taxes in high school. Maybe, but if we're gonna have financial literacy, that should be part of it.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

That should be part of it. Yeah, I agree. So this is hopefully a happy, uplifting question.

Stories That Prove Access Matters

SPEAKER_01 20:15

But like, what are some success stories? Like, what's a success story you can share with us of someone who got access to technology?

SPEAKER_02 20:21

I'm gonna share a few. Yay. Uh, to tie in some of the different places. So I started working this job part-time in January and came onto the team full-time in March. And one of the first emails I received was from someone that said, Hey, my husband is currently without work, our car is broken down, we have two children. I have an opportunity for a really great remote job, but the only barrier is I don't have a computer with Windows 11. Can you help me? Yes, we can. We got her a computer within the week. She was able to start her job. She had emailed that she was one missing paycheck away from homelessness. And she was able to take a job, feed her children, keep her house, take care of her family. That's a real story. That's real success. We have had some people in the domestic violence shelter call us and say, Hey, I'm working towards my GED, I'm trying to get on my feet, I'm trying to apply for jobs, and we set them up with a computer. And one of my favorite success stories the girl has gotten through her GED classes, she got a job and she got an apartment with her kids. That's awesome. And so we've seen success stories like that that are just. Just so beautiful. Uh another one, we were at a job fair, and people who went to the resume training were able to, they didn't know when they showed up, were able, they got a computer. Oh my god. They were able to put that into practice. That's very Oprah of you guys. You get a computer. You get a computer. And some of the comments we got, and this is real. This isn't me just making stuff up for you. The two, there were two guys that said, I've been coming to the library every single day to apply for jobs. Now I can apply for a job from my home because they also received a hot spot. One lady teared up and said, Today is better than Christmas. Girl, you're about to make me cry. And then one gentleman who is a single dad with two daughters said, This means the world to me. I'm able to be the parent my children need because I'm going to be able to get a job with this computer. Those are real situations that I've seen just in the short time that I've worked at C A C R C.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

That's incredible. That honestly, I'm already, this week's been an emotional week for me. My daughter started kindergarten, but you're really tugging at the heartstrings over here. And truly in a way that it's like, I've never thought about these things. Like, truly, I've never had to, right? Like I've always had access. And so it's like to hear that a laptop can make the difference of somebody being able to get their livelihood is incredible. And it's really beautiful. Um, wow. I never thought I'd be crying over laptops, but here I am.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

I mean, honestly, same. I've always worked in professions that were obviously like human professions. I I lived in Honduras, I did humanitarian, I ran a children's home, I had a a feeding center for children, you know, I did volunteer brigades, I directed them. I was a teacher that's obviously, and so when I was approached by our executive director about this job, I was like, technology, recycling, I'm not sure this fits. And the more we talked and the stories he we he shared, I was like, oh, I see where the human component is. Because I would have a hard time being in a job that didn't have a strong human component. And to see that a laptop really is more than just a piece of technology, it really can transform a life in a way that many of us don't think about is it's really special. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

I'm I'm surprised at how moved I am by this. Um yeah, I mean, and and I'm so glad you came to tell us about it because you know, these are the things where it's like maybe when more people know about it, then the more they might want to get involved and help.

Donate, Recycle, Volunteer, And Events

SPEAKER_01 25:11

So I guess I have a couple of questions, which is like number one, how is somebody who uh is interested in helping um the organization, like maybe with a donation or volunteering or donating money, uh, how can they get involved?

SPEAKER_02 25:30

There's a lot of ways. I'm gonna kind of, rather than just sending you to my website, I mean, that's a kind of a cop out for the question. Uh, we receive electronics from all businesses. I mean, we receive them individually too. So I'm gonna touch on the business component, business and industry component first, and then talk about individuals. Okay. So for businesses and industry, we have free or low cost pickup all over the state of Louisiana. The when we say low cost, it's because there's some things we don't accept for free because we can't do anything with them. We just send them downstream. And so we have to accept, we have to charge a small fee for printers and cover. I was gonna say, like that's that was my first thought was printers and coverage. Giant poster makers. Yeah. But for individuals, we actually have partnerships with all of the East Baton Rouge libraries. You can take old computers, chargers, gaming systems, CPU switches to any library. I didn't know that. To the circulation desk, all 15 branches of East Baton Rouge libraries, the Gonzalez location and Ascension Parish, and both branches in West Baton Rouge. So we would love to have a recycling drop-off point in every library system in the state. That would be amazing. Uh, we also, you know, you can donate. We any, all of our donations go directly towards putting a laptop in the hands of someone who does not have one, towards bridging the digital divide. We're blessed as an organization to not have to depend on grants for our daily operations. That comes through the recycling component, that comes through the sales, but the the donation side of it, we can only donate what has with money that is donated to us.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

Um so computer. So oh, so like if someone donates cash, then that could maybe subsidize an entire laptop for someone. Like if someone's like, I don't even have $200. Right.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

Then if I were a donor, then the there's like a fund or something where so we have the Computers for Louisiana program, it would go into that program's fund. And then we also have the CACRC Beliefs program, which is when nonprofits come to us and they're like, we're trying to set up a computer lab, we're trying to do something in our school, and we're able to partner with them then in the technology component with those funds. And so um there's links to donate via our website. Um volunteering, we have events throughout the year, you know. We we're gonna have a bunch of volunteers at our event coming this weekend. We're gonna have volunteers. Uh, we always have volunteers for our Earth Day event. We're gonna, and as we expand our pop-up shops throughout the state, that's gonna provide a lot of volunteer opportunities for people throughout the state.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_02 28:47

That's great. So, well, what's the event going on this weekend? This weekend is our back to school bash. Uh, we're gonna be at the main library in Baton Rouge, and it's our biggest sale of the year. So technology is extra discounted. Our laptops are 150, our Chromebooks are 50, our desktops are 100. Uh, we'll have our 4G hotspots out there for 30, internet plans for $20 a month. Oh, wow. Um, so that's our big event. It's our biggest one. We started doing the pop-up shop apart away from our main location last year, and it was just wildly successful. And so we've gotten a lot of people sharing about it this year. There's a lot of excitement generated here in Baton Rouge about it.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Yeah, and Neighbors is a sponsor of the event, which we're excited um to support, obviously. Um, our our main focus here at Neighbors, uh, at least with our kind of like charitable work, is really focusing on education. And so when um that that opportunity came through, I was like, oh, this is totally aligned to our mission, making sure families have what they need to get started with back to school. And like I said, I've got a kindergartner uh incoming this week. And yeah, like I want every kid to have what my kid has. Um that that every kid having what they need to have a great back to school season and a great start to school. Um, every year it's a fresh start, and you guys do this event every year. We do. Perfect. We do.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

Yeah. Students beginning the year prepared and what they need gives them an extra level of confidence to begin the year well. Totally. Um, and to stay on track throughout the year. So absolutely we love being able to step into a place to support students and families. But the event isn't just for students. Anyone can be a part of it. Yeah. Oh, okay, cool. And where's it at? The main library on Goodwood Boulevard.

SPEAKER_01 30:53

Yeah. And guys, this probably is going to come out after the event, but uh, where can they go to learn about all of your upcoming events?

SPEAKER_02 31:01

We do most of our events, we stay updated on social media. So our Instagram is chrc.br. Our Facebook is you can look up C A C R C. You know, you don't have to put in the the handle for it. Yeah. But we're we're on Instagram and Facebook mostly. We have a LinkedIn. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Anywhere you get your social, your social update.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Wherever you enjoy, wherever you enjoy. Your social media.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

Um, awesome.

Expanding Statewide, AI, And Takeaways

SPEAKER_01 31:32

So is there anything for you like that like if you had a wish list of one thing that you could change to fix the digital divide or something, something that you wish you know you could you could change today with a snap of a finger? Um, as far as the the digital divide goes, what would it be? Tough one.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

It is. Honestly, right now I'm really focused on northeast Louisiana. Um, that is where I want to do a lot of work in the coming year because that is where we see the greatest gaps in so many places, not just digital divide, but when you know it's the Delta region and when the cotton industry kind of left there, no industry has come in and taken the place. And a lot of the people that are there have to go to Vicksburg or Natchez or um, you know other places or Monroe, depending on where they are, to have work. And we've had some communication with some people there being like, you know, if I could get an online job, it would be helpful to me. And so it's just that's really been on my heart the last couple of months as I did some deep research into what's happening into in Louisiana. And so if I could my mentor always asks me if I had a magic wand and I could, you know, wave it to make anything I wanted happen. I would say we would have a strong presence in northeast Louisiana during 2027.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

Perfect. Yeah, that's great. And and so that does mean that you guys serve the entire state. We do, even though you guys are we're located here for a long time.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

It was really only the capital area. So that's why we typically just say C A C R C now rather than the entire name. Uh, because we are tr moving statewide. We want to be a statewide partner for bridging the digital access divide. Perfect.

SPEAKER_01 33:47

Um AI. What do you feel about this? Curious for myself, but you know, do you think that that's gonna further the digital divide for the people who aren't currently having access?

SPEAKER_02 34:03

I think the lack of knowledge on how to use it well is going to create a further barrier to some people. I don't think we should become reliant on it. I think we need to take steps to figure out how it's not going to kill the areas where they're located. You know, we are environmentally friendly recyclers, uh, but there's a lot of resourcefulness in it. Um, but yes, I think people who don't have access to computers and aren't exposed to how to learn to use it well is going to further the gap with people.

SPEAKER_01 34:52

Yeah, that makes sense. So if you just have a closing thought, anything else that we haven't touched on that you wanted to that you wanted to share about?

SPEAKER_02 35:02

Uh when I first talked to Kim and I pitched this idea to her, I was like, I I know a lot of people aren't gonna see the immediate connection between financial literacy and digital access. And so my goal on coming on here was to kind of bridge that, but to also show that digital access has no longer become a luxury in not just in our state, like in 2026. It's become something where we depend on to access pretty much everything we do, any kind of application or resource or advancement for education or career. We're needing technology to do it.

SPEAKER_01 35:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:51

And so my goal in coming on here was just to simply further expand the conversation of why what we're doing is a human service, yeah, not just a recycling service.

SPEAKER_01 36:06

Yeah, that's incredible. And I honestly feel like I learned a lot today. Um, and it makes so much sense. It's like I it I live with technology every day, as most of us do, kind of the same as I live with a toothbrush and toothpaste. It's just part of my daily routine. Um, and there's people out there that I guess haven't had that opportunity yet. And it is kind of it it levels the playing field, doesn't it, if they get if they get that access. It really does. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:34

If they get it and they learn the skills to use it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

So and I always say, too, that just someone getting what they need, whatever that is, and feeling that support, like you said, when a kid starts school and they feel like they have everything, they've got their backpack, their lunchbox, they know they're gonna be able to do their homework and they get to school. It gives some people a boost of confidence. And sometimes that's all they need. Maybe the laptop is just a way to reassure them that there's people in the community that are thinking of them and looking out for them and want them to succeed, which is beautiful. It's gonna make me cry again. Get out of here, girl. Right.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

Yeah, this is this is a human work that we're doing. It just we're having to create the narrative in Louisiana because this isn't a narrative that people are hearing. Right. We still live in the narrative that a computer is a luxury. Yeah. But we see that it limited access just creates further barriers.

SPEAKER_01 37:33

Yeah, it create and the the divide becomes bigger, the the gap is becomes bigger. Well, thank you so much for coming today. I thank you very much. I appreciate you. And um, yeah, if you guys are interested in learning more, uh, we'll include uh all the links and websites in the show notes. Um, and so just to close, it does seem that the hidden cost of being disconnected isn't measured just in dollars. It's measured in missed opportunities, inability to access uh job applications, inability to set up your budget and to really get into a good flow with your finances. Um, and ultimately sounds like if these gaps get closed, people are able to get a little bit closer to their purpose and maybe to their dreams. Um, and also feel like they're not so alone. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:23

Definitely.

SPEAKER_01 38:24

Um, and you know, here at Neighbors, we do really support financial wellness. Obviously, Kim is not here with us today, but she does an amazing job with that. And I think putting these puzzle pieces together of saying that financial literacy isn't just what you think it is, um, it it includes everything because money is what what we work with here uh in the United States and all over the world to kind of make everything go round. So I yeah, I really appreciate it. My eyes have been open today, and I hope that anybody out there who needs access um goes to CACRC.com. I was gonna say it, but I was scared. Cacrc.com. Um, and as always, use the money you have and make the money you need and save the money you want. I'm not Kimberly Chapman, I'm Betty Mujica Milano, and this has been Money Matters. We'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_00 39:20

Stay on track with your financial journey. Subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast, and visit neighborsfcu.org slash financial wellness for more tools to help you build a strong financial future.