Tech-Savvy Homeless Stay Connected
Aug. 11, 2006 — -- When Leon Daryl Williams Jr. was homeless a few years ago, it wasn't uncommon to find him digging through trash on the streets of New York City. But he wasn't looking for aluminum cans or leftover take-out food. He was searching for spare computer parts.
From the discards he found, Williams rebuilt computers piece by piece.
"I was always trying to search out a way to work on computers," he said. "To have something there before me, it was an inspiration."
Williams is part of a growing number of tech-savvy homeless people who use computers and the Internet to stay connected with the world and to reach out to others.
"The overwhelming majority of homeless people are using the Internet as a free, easy and convenient way to hook up with the rest of the world," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, a New York advocacy and service organization for homeless men, women and children.
Williams said that after falling on hard times a number of years ago, he was left with a broken life -- no home, no money and no idea how he would get his life back on track.
What he did have was a knowledge of electronics and computers from training he'd received before he ended up on the streets.
He honed his Internet skills at the Bowery Mission in New York City. He'd spend hours in the mission's career center searching online for schools to further his education.
He was eventually accepted at Per Scholas, a technical school in the Bronx, and, after a few months there, got a job with Canon Business Solutions.
"It was [thanks to] my ability to navigate the Internet that I was able to find that school," he said.
Williams now works full-time, and has benefits and life insurance. "I'm still on a high now. It's tremendous that it's actually happening."
Melissa Alcorn, associate director of the Bowery Mission Women's Center, said that Web sites like Monster.com, Craigslist.com and even search engines like Google help make job hunting easier for the homeless.
