SNAP Program

Digital Inclusion Service

Meet Jasmine

Jasmine is a single mom, living in Arlington with some family members. She recently moved
there and was trying to figure out what kind of future she wanted for her and her baby
son. Arlington doesn’t have much to offer as far as work and all she could find was work at a
gas station. Jasmine knew that there was no future for her there and with the support of her
family, decided to enroll full time for the winter term at Columbia Gorge Community College
(CGCC).

Her short-term goal is to finish the nursing program at CGCC and then move onto her long-term
goal which is becoming a Labor and Delivery Nurse. Jasmine did not have a way of connecting
to her online classes and was hoping that she would have money left over from FAFSA so she
could buy herself a computer, if that didn’t work out, her backup plan was to ask for one for
Christmas. Her college advisor knew her situation and thought she would be a great candidate
for the laptop program and referred her.

Jasmine now has a way to connect to her classes online and is on her way to achieving her goals
and providing herself and her son with a better future, thanks to the laptop that was provided
to her through the STEP program.

Through a partnership with the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and Free Geek, OED’s SNAP program provides a digital inclusion service to eligible SNAP participants which allow them the opportunity to participate in skill
development and training, job search classes, networking opportunities, and more. Digital Inclusion Service includes a refurbished laptop, 12-months technical support, 12-month warranty, and digital literacy components from
Free Geek. Funding provided by the Oregon Department of Human Services, United States Department of Agriculture, the State of Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, and the Oregon Employment Department.
USDA is an equal opportunity employer, provider, and lender.