Hunt Valley company invests in digital equity by donating to DigiBmore and Byte Back

Access Receivables Management has invested in digital equity in Baltimore city with a donation of $5000 to DigiBmore, which formed in the pandemic to provide devices and internet access, as well as computer hardware to tech inclusion nonprofit Byte Back. The Hunt Valley-based company is also planning to continue supporting these initiatives in the future.

Through the donation, Byte Back received a donation of 13 computers and 13 new computer monitors and will use the equipment to help participants connect at home to its adult learners’ program, which helps adults train to earn living wages in IT and administrative services.

“We feel that education is the key to success,” said Tom Gillespie (right). (photo by Robin Sommer/MidAtlantic Photographic LLC)

DigiBmore will use the $5000 towards purchasing Chromebooks for K-12 students in Baltimore city who need access to distance learning during the pandemic. The organization estimates 20,000 laptops are needed bridge the digital divide in education.

“The digital divide was always there between many of Baltimore’s students and access to technology,” Ed Mullin, cofounder of DigiBmore and executive director of Baltimore Robotics Center, said in a statement. “The pandemic just showed in high contrast the importance of connectivity and technology to academic success. Hopefully, this crisis will help create a permanent solution to a very solvable problem.”

After he and three other local tech leaders starting to refurbish and distribute laptops with DigiBmore, Mullin reached out to Byte Back with word of Access Receivables Management’s desire to give back. The receivables management and third party debt collection company has many employees in Baltimore city, and Byte Back Baltimore Site Director Chrissie Powell said the company provided “a solution, not just a temporary fix for our students.”

“We feel that education is the key to success in any endeavor and are committed to these two fine organizations to help support this mission in our expanded community,” Tom Gillespie, president at Access Receivables Management, said in a statement. “This is our first donation, but we are creating a partnership to also help them moving forward.”