BALTIMORE, Aug. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Latino families in Baltimore City will improve their socio-economic and educational standing thanks to a $15,000 grant from the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation.  

The grant funds Empowering Latinos: One “Click” at a Time, a program organized by the Baltimore-based William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation that helps Latino families secure better paying jobs and better assist their children by learning to use computers and the Internet.  At the end of the program, parents receive laptops for their homes to bridge the digital divide. 

“We are thrilled to invest in a groundbreaking initiative that is improving the quality of life for families and communities where O’Neill family members live,” stated Leah Gary, president and CEO of the O’Neill Foundation.  

The program, directed by Open Society Institute (OSI)-Baltimore Community Fellow Lanaea C. Featherstone, also teaches participants how to use the Internet, create resumes and apply for jobs online.  “OSI-Baltimore is pleased to back such an important program that is helping underserved groups succeed,” said Pamela King, director of community fellowships at the Open Society Institute-Baltimore.

Graduates of the Empowering Latinos: One “Click” at a Time program will receive laptops for their homes along with a certificate of completion during a special luncheon on Saturday, September 20, 2014 at Patterson Park Public Charter School’s cafeteria (2726 E. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21224).

“The program extends educational opportunities and creates support systems that promote successful children, thriving families, and strong communities,” said Dr. Elizabeth Obara, one of the school’s founders and Community School Coordinator. 

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The William J. & Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation‘s mission to partner with nonprofits to improve the quality of life for families and communities, in places where O’Neill family members live. For more information, visit www.oneill-foundation.org

Open Society Institute – Baltimore is a public charity and the sole field office of the Open Society Foundations’ U.S. Programs. We focus on the root causes of three intertwined problems in our city and state: drug addiction, an over-reliance on incarceration, and obstacles that impede youth in succeeding inside and out of the classroom. We believe that discussion and debate are critical to making positive, lasting changes. For more information, visit www.audaciousideas.org

Patterson Park Public Charter School‘s mission is to provide a community-centered learning environment that values diversity and embraces a whole child approach to develop well-educated citizens. For more information, visit www.pppcs.org           

The William & Lanaea C. Featherstone Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering, inspiring and impacting the immigrant Latino community.  The foundation strives to strengthen cultural understandings of diverse populations through educational training programs. For more information, visit www.thefeatherstonefoundation.org