Comcast Opens WiFi-Connected “Lift Zone” at Family Focus in Evanston

Lift Zones provide safe spaces where students and adults can access the Internet

February 18, 2022- Comcast announced the launch of a new WiFi-connected “Lift Zone” at Family Focus, a social services agency located at 2010 Dewey Ave. in Evanston, IL. Lift Zones are safe spaces where children can get online to do schoolwork and adults can get online to learn new digital skills, search for employment and access an array of services.

The COVID-19 crisis put many low-income students and families at risk of being left behind and accelerated the need for comprehensive digital equity and Internet adoption programs to support them. Lift Zones are part of a larger multiyear plan by Comcast to support community-organization-based WiFi at more than 1,000 Lift Zones throughout the country, with nearly 80 completed in this region alone.  The Lift Zones complement Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, a low-cost Internet adoption program for low-income families, which has helped connect more than 10 million people in America – including 1.3 million in Illinois alone – to the Internet at home since it was launched in 2011.

“The Lift Zone will help parents, grandparents and foster parents we serve connect to the Internet to access information and services, grow their digital skills and mentor the children in their care,” said Dara Munson, Family Focus President and Chief Executive Officer. “The Lift Zone also will help Family Focus serve more members of the community.”

“Through Internet Essentials, Comcast has helped hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans cross the digital divide,” said John Crowley, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region Senior Vice President. “I’m proud that Comcast recognized the impact of the digital divide early on, stepped up and now continues to offer solutions that further our commitment to communities through the creation of Lift Zones.”

Crowley also noted that the federal government recently launched a digital equity initiative called the “Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)”, which provides eligible low-income households a credit up to $30 a month toward the cost of Internet service.  Comcast supports ACP and has made it available for all tiers of its Xfinity Internet plans, as well as Internet Essentials. For more information, visit www.xfinity.com/free.

Project UP and Comcast’s $1 Billion Commitment to Advance Digital Equity

For over a decade, connecting more people to the Internet and the technology they need to participate and excel in an increasingly digital world has been a core focus for the company. Looking toward the next ten years, Comcast is building on that foundation and expanding its impact through Project UP, a comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.

Backed by a $1 billion commitment to reach 50 million people, Project UP encompasses the programs and community partnerships across Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Sky that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers, and creators. For more information on Project UP and the latest news on efforts to address digital inequities visit https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/project-up.

About Family Focus

Family Focus Evanston began in 1976 as the original drop-in center for parents in Evanston. As the flagship location of all Family Focus, Bernice Weissbourd invited parents of young children to come together to provide support and camaraderie for another to promote early childhood development.

Forty years later Family Focus continues to serve the Evanston community. Services available include early childhood home visiting, Family Advocacy Center, after school, Grandparents raising Grandchildren and community partnership initiatives, such as the Foster Street Urban Agriculture program.

Family Focus, Inc., offers innovative, community-based programs that help parents, grandparents and foster and adoptive parents gain confidence and competence as the primary educators of their children. Family Focus has seven centers in Chicago and surrounding communities.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

With nearly 6,000 local employees, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region
(https://chicago.comcast.com) serves customers in central and northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan. “Like” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Facebook by visiting @Comcast. “Follow” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Twitter at @ComcastIllinois.