Austin Samaritans has been refurbishing and redistributing computers from donated parts for several months. Here is an exerpt from a letter we recieved recently that demonstrates how something we might discard can help keep distant families united...

Dear John,

Through the kindness of your volunteers and the resources you share, Austin Samaritans' welcomes our clients, survivors of torture, into the Austin community.

Today, a client received a personal computer for the first time. She expressed excitement that, after learning more about how to use computers, she could receive photos of her friends at Center for Survivors of Torture [CST] over the internet.

For her, the photographs are proof that she is loved here, and even has a family of sorts to care about. Her biological family lives across the seas in dangerous conditions, and she is barely able to communicate with them. Like many of our clients, she will learn to utilize email, online news and internet chat to feel more connected to the dearest people in her life.

Austin Samaritans' computer donations prove to our clients that they are not isolated within this community or from their countries of origin. With the computers and technological assistance you provide, our clients see their kids grow up, the memories of their mothers, and the house they lived in. These moments are precious for us to share, and vital for them. Thank you for giving us these moments.

The gift of technology connects to each other, just as the kindness and commitment of volunteer Bob Holden connects the wishes of recent and vulnerable immigrants to Austin with the wonderful resources of Austin Samaritans.

Thank you for everything,
Cristina Coupal
Administrative Coordinator
Center for Survivors of Torture