Motiva Enterprises Donates 500 Computers to Comp-U-Dopt COVID-19 Relief Efforts

HOUSTON, April 16, 2020 (Newswire.com) - ​Since its founding in 2007, Comp-U-Dopt has made a significant impact in the Houston area, touching literally thousands of lives by providing 16,000 computers to underserved students and their families for technology access and education. This pandemic has made their mission even more critical than before.

On April 6, the agency received 500 computers from Motiva Enterprises LLC. "Motiva's generosity increases our available inventory from 800 to 1,300 plus computers earmarked for students needing technology to manage schoolwork and keep pace with their education remotely," said Colin Dempsey, Executive Director, Comp-U-Dopt Houston and Galveston. Comp-U-Dopt will continue to supply over 300 computers per week to students as an essential operation for families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donation is part of a larger effort to support the regional relief initiative. Soon after area schools in the HSID system declared a stay-at-home-order, Comp-U-Dopt received thousands of registrations from families in need of computers to assist their children in keeping up with schoolwork and tune into classrooms remotely. For what seems as a luxury for most, many area families cannot afford laptops and internet service for their children.

On Wednesday, March 18, Comp-U-Dopt created a computer drive-thru for parents to pick up a Wi-Fi capable computer free of charge. Their mission is to take retired computers from corporations and individuals, refurbish them, load them with learning software and then distribute them to families in need. Comp-U-Dopt, in complying with social distancing protocols, set up a drive-thru program making it even easier for individuals to corporations to drop off computers. Since they began their drive-thru program, 25,000 families have registered for a computer stating that they have no other way to access essential learning for their children. The digital divide in Houston is clearer than ever.

​Motiva’s donation is more essential than ever. With many companies sending their workforce home to work remotely, a strain on resources is quite visible across Houston – and the U.S. Motiva has been an engaged partner since Hurricane Harvey brought Comp-U-Dopt and Motiva together when they donated more than 1,500 computers to families impacted by the flooding.

"Motiva is proud to contribute laptop computers to help students and families in Houston during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Ed Haloulos, Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Motiva, "and we share Comp-U-Dopt's view that technology increases students' educational success and helps keep them from falling behind in their studies. We can all agree that we are all in this together, and we are honored to be able to give this timely contribution during these unprecedented circumstances."

Source: Comp-U-Dopt