SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - A computer lab is now available for the Springfield community thanks to a $15,000 donation from the Horace Mann Educators Corporation to the Salvation Army.
The lab, named after former Horace Mann executive Dwayne Hallman, will be in the Salvation Army Community Center. Students, veterans and seniors will be able to use it for tutoring, job searches, assistance program applications, filing taxes and more.
Students will have more opportunities to access the Dwayne Hallman Computer Lab through potential Salvation Army collaborations with the Boys and Girls Club, The Outlet and Springfield Public Schools.
During a Salvation Army enrichment summer camp planned for 2021, the Horace Mann contribution will pay for tutors to help the 100 school-aged campers in the program with access to tutors to help them if they struggled with learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The computer lab will help veterans with job skills training and can help the local homeless population with telehealth meetings and other virtual needs.
“In the past year, education and opportunities for basic services have moved to virtual platforms. For a variety of reasons, many children and adults have fallen through the cracks because they lack the tools needed to access these platforms,” said Captain Jeff Eddy, Salvation Army of Springfield. “The Dwayne Hallman Computer Lab will open countless opportunities for Springfield residents. It would not have been possible without Horace Mann’s generosity.”
“The Dwayne Hallman Computer Lab will be a great resource for the Springfield community,” said Horace Mann President and CEO Marita Zuraitis. “Dwayne was an inspirational leader with a dedication to educators and this community. This computer lab will honor that dedication by providing a resource for educators, students and the community.”
