Supporter Spotlight: Breanna Jackson

 

In the months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kramden Institute has seen a tremendous outpouring of support from our community. These donations have allowed Kramden to continue our work, connecting individuals to technology at a time when digital access is essential.

Earlier this week, we reached out to donor Breanna Jackson, who shared why she selected Kramden for her Facebook Birthday Fundraiser.  Breanna recently crowdfunded over $3,000 for Kramden and has been chosen for this month’s Supporter Spotlight!

 

 

How did you first hear about Kramden?

I heard about Kramden from working at Cisco Systems in RTP, NC. They would have a few volunteer events within the IT department with Kramden, and I heard good things about the organization.

Is there something about Kramden’s work/mission in particular that you connect with? (e.g. computers for kids, recycling old computers, etc.) 

The more advanced the world gets with the development of technology, the more vital it is for everyone to have access to reliable technology. I’ve heard of the “Homework Gap” where students in low-income areas were having a hard time keeping up with homework requirements if they didn’t have a computer/internet at home. That problem always troubled me since education should be an equalizer between all levels of income and background. I connected with Kramden’s mission because I was happy to see a local organization working hard to tackle that problem for NC students.

What made you decide to support Kramden through your Facebook Birthday Fundraiser?  

With COVID-19 coming to the United States in March and large global protests in response to the death of George Floyd and Breanna Taylor in the summer, my anxiety about the inequality in the world reached a very high level. There was already a gap in who had reliable access to technology, and part of that includes systematic racism in black/brown communities. Coronavirus is making that gap even wider, with so many students taking classes from home. I wanted to do something productive that would help reduce the gap, so I brainstormed ways that would have a large positive impact. During my research, I remembered Kramden and their mission fit my drive to provide more computers to students in need.

With my Birthday coming up, I thought it would be a great time to raise a large amount of money to help make a difference in my local area. It was also a milestone birthday for me. I turned 30, so I decided to do “$30 for 30” to help increase the amount even more.

Any fun / geeky facts about yourself you would like to share?  

I come from an engineering background and once attempted to make a wedding planning mobile app soon after I got married myself. I like attending innovation challenges and hackathons to channel my creativity towards a problem.

 

Thank you, Breanna, for supporting Kramden’s mission!