Computer C.O.R.E.

Because of PC W., I got involved with volunteering at Computer CORE. It’s a great local organization that helps low-​income adults computer skills to advance their career (CORE provides a refurbished computer to the student to take home to practice).
I have been involved for about a year, mostly working on event photography. I am really seeing the impact of the organization and the volunteers’ help with all the students, when you can tell the students’ confidence at graduations.
PC W’s review provides more details about the program.
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Ways to help:
1) Computer donations (They are in need for keyboards and mouses for the next sessions. CRT monitor also!) —
2) Volunteers —
3) $$ -

It has never been a better time to get involved with Computer C.O.R.E. (Community Outreach and Education) than now! See my previous review for all the details on what C.O.R.E. is all about. Now into it’s 9^th year, C.O.R.E. has graduated hundreds of once un– or under-​employed adult students into the working world with computer skills, polished resumes and the confidence to get that new job, promotion, pay raise, go back to school or to start a business. Volunteers are vital to the success of students at C.O.R.E. and any skills you have can be put to task from technical to marketing communications to accounting to teaching. If you’d like to get involved, there are plenty of one-​time, short-​term and long-​term opportunities and you can get started at
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This spring our beloved Executive Director and C.O.R.E.‘s founder Deb Roepke passed the torch to Lynn O’Connell. Having worked with Lynn, I can attest that she is a passionate leader with a great vision for change at C.O.R.E. especially in the areas of fundraising and program development. I am confident that C.O.R.E. is in the midst of an evolution that has been a long time coming and we need volunteers to help usher in these changes.
Furthermore, C.O.R.E. has expanded and launched one class to a satellite location at the Literacy Council of Northern VA in Falls Church. This is the first time in C.O.R.E.‘s history that we will have 5 classes, one of which is offsite. If this test class goes well, who knows, C.O.R.E. classes may start popping up in other cities in NoVa because there is a need for C.O.R.E.‘s programs and services beyond Alexandria.
So why am I updating this review? I got hyper-​involved again since I wrote the original review and I want to make the Unilocal community aware of this organization. In January, I returned to be a Success Strategies Assistant to teach an 18-​week hourly class on career skills such as goal-​setting, resume writing, interviewing, etc. I am super jazzed because last night was the first class of the July-​Dec term which I’m teaching again. Our teaching team of four has 13 students who are so excited to start a new path in their lives. The energy in the classroom was undeniable. There is no better feeling than knowing that this group of students lives will be dramatically different 6 months from now. I have also been diligently working on writing the 2007 Annual Report, I continue to contribute to writing for the print and online newsletters and most recently, I had the honor of being nominated to be Co-​Chair of the planning committee for the Annual Wine & Chocolate Fundraiser. If you have an interest or skill, C.O.R.E. can put it to work.
I have contributed almost 300 volunteer hours over the last 2.5 years and I’m always being asked about what is it about this organization that keeps me dedicated. I have too many reasons to count but I’ll share this example. Last year, I was on the admissions interview committee for the incoming Fall Term 2007. Over several weeks, I interviewed dozens upon dozens of applicants and shared feedback with the committee and staff members. Our goal is to admit students that have the aspirations, commitment and the drive to get through the rigorous course and to enter new careers. Most of the applicants have faced tough challenges personally and professionally and desperate for change so the process of selecting students is an emotional one. A few people stood out in my mind including an unemployed, blond woman — particularly because we don’t get many caucasian American applicants (many of C.O.R.E.‘s applicants come through word-​of-​mouth in several ethnic communities) but more so because she had a sadness but hopefulness about her future if she could get computer training. After making my recommendations for the students that I felt would make the best fit for C.O.R.E., I hoped that they would all find success. Fast-​forward a year later, in walks this confident business woman to the podium to give her alumni speech at graduation. Since graduating CORE in the December 2007 term, this woman was hired by an organization in Alexandria in a coordinator position and recently was promoted to a supervisor position. Her supervisor also spoke and said that she had an edge above the other employees — the skills she developed at Computer C.O.R.E. — that really made her stand out and most qualified for a promotion to a supervisory role. This same woman sat across from me last year thinking she didn’t many options left because she didn’t know how to use a computer, and now has transformed her life and has a career. This is just one of the many success stories that are shared in the halls of C.O.R.E. and this is why I continue to support C.O.R.E.