CINCINNATI (Feb. 26, 2024) — Learning never stops for Lonnie. She is a senior, lives alone and relies heavily on the internet for information.

A United Way of Greater Cincinnati Care Coordinator helped her enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households up to a $30 monthly discount for high-speed internet service, as well as a one-time discount to buy a connected device.

Lonnie, who lives in Hamilton County, is among millions of Americans who benefit from the federal program. But she is worried. Unless Congress extends the ACP, funding is set to run out this spring; new enrollments were halted Feb. 7.

Losing the $30 subsidy "would really tighten my already tight budget," she said.

A bipartisan bill introduced in January would provide $7 billion to extend the ACP through the end of the year, but its chances of passing are unclear. You can ask your members of Congress to renew and extend ACP funding at uwgc.org/advocate.

Lonnie and others in Greater Cincinnati spoke about the program's importance to them and United Way's role in helping them enroll. More information is at uwgc.org/acp.

LONNIE

"I use the internet for many resources — for my health and mental well-being, and for learning about topics such as history, politics, religion and other beliefs, exercise programs, and the list continues. The internet is my go-to whenever I'm without answers."

When Lonnie needed help with the ACP's online application, she called 211, the United Way Helpline. "I had nobody else to call and ask," she said.

Lonnie spoke with a United Way Care Coordinator. "She walked me all the way through it. I don't know what I would have done without that. How appreciative I am!"

"I'm grateful for the monthly subsidy. It has helped me use the internet to better my life."

MARCHELLE

"When it comes to technology, I'm like a dinosaur," said Marchelle, who lives in Hamilton County. But dinosaurs became extinct because they couldn't adapt. Marchelle, on the other hand, is adapting to the technological world.

She's learning to navigate the internet.

"I have some health challenges, so I'm in the house a lot. The internet is needed for my everyday life. It helps connect me to the outside world." It's also the tool she uses to research health information.

But because Marchelle no longer works and her husband is on disability, paying for internet service was difficult. "I couldn't afford it anymore," she said. "I needed help.

"My pride was in the way a little bit," Marchelle said, "because I haven't had to rely on an outside source to help me financially in a long time."

She called United Way's 211 Helpline and arranged to meet with a Care Coordinator who assisted with her ACP application.

"She was very thorough," Marchelle said of the Care Coordinator. "United Way was there to help me, from A to Z."

Marchelle does not take internet access for granted. "It's not just a want," she said, "it's a need."

LAMONTE

Surveys indicate about half of households use their ACP-funded internet for employment. Lamonte, who lives in Hamilton County, is among them.

"I use (the internet) for job searches," said Lamonte, 40, who was recently let go from a position. "And I have experience in video production, so when I try to pick up gigs, it's essential for me to have internet so I can contact clients and send them the video through email or through the cloud."

When he lost his job, Lamonte looked for ways to cut expenses. He ran into problems submitting an online ACP application, so he called United Way's 211 Helpline.

"They were very helpful and walked me through the process," he said.

The $30 monthly discount "is pretty substantial, because I was paying a lot of money for home internet and cell phone," Lamonte said. Losing that benefit "would definitely squeeze my dollars. I'm just doing my best trying to keep my costs low."

The ACP benefits 23 million U.S. households. The numbers for our region:

• Ohio: 1,153,635 households are enrolled, or about 1 in 4 households in the state.
• Kentucky: 453,540 households are enrolled, or about 1 in 4 households in the state.
• Indiana: 424,598 households are enrolled, or about 1 in 6 households in the state.