Nonprofit Technology Resources (NTR) located on the 1500 block of Brandywine Street strives to provide low-cost computers to Philadelphians while also changing lives.
A couple years ago, Melvin Bonilla, 24, of Kensington was a stressed out individual who quit his job and turned to drug dealing to pay the bills. A giant leap from where he stands today, behind the counter at NTR selling refurbished computers.
“It’s pretty cool helping the customers out because a lot of them don’t know about computers, so it’s like helping a kid learn how to use his first toy,” said Bonilla of his current job.
Bonilla found the gig at NTR through the Welfare program, “I went to the Welfare office and said I needed some money, I’m tired of being home.”
He told the welfare office he was interested in learning about computers after he saw his friend making over $20 an hour working as a help desk technician.
Bonilla entered a six-month training program where he earned his A+ and IC3 certificates, a must have for a help desk applicant. He then started working his way around NTR starting in the donations area then moving to desktop refurbishing, quality control, laptop refurbishing and finally landing a paid position in the NTR store.
He is also helping his neighbors by fixing their computers for a fraction of the price they would pay at a computer store.
Bonilla is the first one at the store each morning to open the gate and get everything started. With a smile he said, “You know how everybody wakes up in the morning thinking ‘Oh, I don’t want to go to work.’ I don’t have that feeling.”
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