Mi Oficina Computer Café was on the front page of the Contra Costa Times! Well, kinda. Matt O’ Brien, a reporter stopped by Mi Oficina yesterday to interview some of the patrons as it was relevant to an article he was writing called “Latinos fall behind growing digital divide”.
It is difficult to put into words how proud I am that Mi Oficina was recognized as a business that is trying to close such gap. That is why we started the place two years ago and sacrificed so much for. It has come a long way since we opened up with 10 purple iMacs found on craigslist to putting a business plan together and working so hard to craft a menu that would appeal to Latinos and the rest of the Monument community. It is easy to lose the big picture and get caught up in the daily grind, but this is a reminder of why the sacrifices were made.
While in Mi Oficina this past weekend, I got the opportunity to work on Juan’s brand new laptop. That brought memories of him asking for help to create a hotmail account in order to have a video-call with his mother, who he had not seen in over a year. He was quite emotional, and I was very happy to have helped someone discover technology to eliminate distances. It is amazing to see him in Mi Oficina with his new latptop enjoying some coffee and chatting with friends.
Having the opportunity to participate on the online chat with Matt and Dean Bonner from the Public Policy Institute of California was another proud moment. The setup took sometime to get use to but was very interesting once it got underway.
Mi Oficina computer will continue to do its part in helping bridge the digital divide one client at a time. We’ll continue to chip away at that gap and hopefully inspire a few kids in the area. Who knows, with the right opportunity and a start up willing to give them a shot, one of those kids just may comeback someday to start a business and share what he learned.
Hasta la Victoria siempre.