LIFT

One year after launching weekly digital literacy trainings, poverty-empowerment nonprofit LIFT-Philadelphia, partnered with economic development group Philadelphia OIC and Comcast, says it has brought 700 Philadelphians through the program.

Gary Farmer had been steadily employed in the travel industry for over 20 years and had recently been promoted to supervisor in his department at a national airline.  When the recession hit and he was laid off, Gary struggled to comprehend the news. “I was looking for work and in many ways had nowhere to turn,” he says.  A friend suggested that he turn to LIFT, and upon entering LIFT-Philadelphia's West Office, he quickly found hope that he would be employed again.

"Working at LIFT has given me an unstoppable desire to continue to fight poverty and strive for ideals that I have come to value as a student advocate."