Laptops for KidZ places 11th of the "TD Bank Dozen" through Brewster After School Program

Computer will help young girl catch up with missed school work

   Laptops for KidZ volunteer Michael Leighton, Nauset Youth Alliance executive director Christine Sieger and NYA bookkeeper Susan O'Neill check out the five IBM ThinkPad laptops placed in Brewster by the Masonic Angel Foundation's Laptops for KidZ project.  The computers were part of a donation of twelve laptops by TD Bank. MAF Photo.

The Laptops for KidZ project of the Masonic Angel Foundation has placed the eleventh of the dozen IBM ThinkPad’s donated by TD Bank.  This article is number eleven in an exclusive CapeCodToday.com series that follows each of the “TD Bank Dozen” laptops.  Laptops for KidZ was introduced to TD Bank through a partnership with Cape and Islands United Way.

Christine Sieger at the Nauset Youth Alliance/Brewster After School Child Care (BACC) program is a very active partner of the Masonic Angel Fund.  MAF has served the children of BACC for twelve years.  On Tuesday, June 8th the Laptops for KidZ program delivered a total of five IBM ThinkPads to the Brewster After School Child Care office at the Stony Brook School.  This and future articles will track the deployment of those machines.

TD Bank Laptop #11 was provided for a girl who is being raised by her grandmother.  The computer was delivered by LFK project director Mario Meré on behalf of the Universal Masonic Angel Fund chapter that serves children in Orleans, Brewster and Eastham.   In addition to the pre-loaded Open Office and Avast! anti-virus software, the school loaded the computer with some specialized software suitable to this child’s educational needs.

Masonic Angel Fund co-founder Robert Fellows remarked that “…this is a child who has suffered some trauma in her life.  Not only will the computer provide her with a chance to catch up on missed academic material, working with her computer-literate grandmother on the project will give the girl some much-needed one-on-one mentoring.”

Universal’s Masonic Angel Fund chapter provided approximately $9,000 in charitable assistance to children in the Nauset region during the past school year.  The very first Masonic Angel Fund was established at Universal Masonic Lodge in Orleans back in 1998.  Today the Masonic Angel Foundation oversees 142 chapters in twelve states.

Established in March, Laptops for KidZ (LFK) places laptop computers with local schools to be sent home with children who would not otherwise have computer access outside school hours.  LFK tries to focus on situations where there is a demonstrated educational need for which the school has a plan that requires the use of a computer to address that need.

TD Bank’s Larry Squire, who arranged the bank’s donation, was introduced to the Laptops for KidZ program by Cape and Islands United Way president Richard Brothers.  Mr. Squire arranged for the donation of the dozen machines just prior to his retirement in May.

As with all activities of the Masonic Angel Foundation, the program's volunteers never know the identity of a recipient child. All transactions are conducted at arm's length with the school professionals working as a go-between to preserve privacy. LFK does not accept direct requests from potential recipients. Requests for laptops must come through a school or other partner agency.  LFK computers are configured in English and are only available to legal residents of the United States.  The TD Bank laptops are eligible to be placed between Plymouth and Provincetown through local Masonic Angel Fund chapters.

LFK accepts donations of functional Windows-based notebook computers. "Functional" means that the laptop will power up and is accompanied by its proper AC adapter.  LFK generally does not accept donations of desktops or monitors and does not accept any Apple product. Donations to the 501(c)(3) Masonic Angel Foundation, Inc. are tax deductible.

For more information about the Laptops for KidZ program visit www.laptopsforkidZ.org.

• Laptops for KidZ places 10th of the "TD Bank Dozen" at Orleans Elementary
  
• Laptops for KidZ places 9th of the "TD Bank Dozen" through the Nauset Youth Alliance in Brewster
  
• Laptops for KidZ places 8th of the "TD Bank Dozen" at the Latham School in Brewster
  
• Laptops for KidZ places 7th of the "TD Bank Dozen" in Eastham
  
• Laptops for KidZ places 6th of the "TD Bank Dozen" in Brewster
  
• Laptops for KidZ places 5th of the "TD Bank Dozen" at Wellfleet Elementary
  
• Fourth of the "TD Bank Dozen" laptops placed in Brewster
  
• Laptops for KidZ gifts five laptops to Brewster after hours program
  
• Laptops for KidZ places second of the “TD Bank Dozen” at Wellfleet Elementary School
  
• Masonic Angels gifts a Laptop for KidZ to Truro School
  
• TD Bank donates a dozen computers to Laptops for KidZ
  
• Masonic Angels gifting laptops to our schools