Verizon awards $100K to Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce to advance digital equity in Maine

PORTLAND, ME – Verizon announces a $100,000 award to the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce (“the Chamber”) for the development of Opportunity Clicks. The partnership is part of the Verizon Forward Community Enhancement Award, a $1 million national initiative equipping communities with the tools to navigate an increasingly technological world.

Through Opportunity Clicks, the Chamber will partner with give IT. get IT., Maine’s only nonprofit computer access and digital literacy program. Together, they will provide low-income households with refurbished computers and free training to pursue academic and career goals necessary to join the regional workforce.

The Chamber serves more than 1,400 member businesses in eight communities in Greater Portland, ranging from sole proprietorships to the state’s largest companies, collectively employing over 65,000 Mainers. One major obstacle to its members’ business growth is access to skilled, digitally literate talent, which Opportunity Clicks will address.

“The Community Enhancement Award reflects Verizon’s commitment to advancing digital literacy and inclusion in the communities we serve,” said Tony Lewis, Vice President of Public Policy for Verizon. “We are committed to listening to and meeting communities where they are by partnering with innovative organizations, such as Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, to ensure communities have the digital skills and tools they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.”

Verizon’s small business partnerships are part of the company’s goal to support 1 million small businesses to succeed in the digital economy by 2030. Through its free platform Small Business Digital Ready (SBDR), Verizon fosters inclusive growth across the country including reaching over 56,000 business owners in 2023. To learn more about Verizon’s Digital Inclusion efforts, visit CitizenVerizon.com.