Comcast’s flagship Lift Zone reopened in North Philadelphia on Tuesday reopened with around $700,000 invested in the facility that provides technical training programs for people looking to get into new career fields, such as green energy, healthcare and digital media.

The investment provided renovations to the facility, as well new technology and free Wi-Fi, to the OIC in North Philly.

The Lift Zone is one of 50 Lift Zones Comcast has funded in the City of Philadelphia.

“We feel it helps us to bridge the digital divide,” said Sheila Ireland, the president and CEO of Philadelphia OIC. “The community we serve digital access. It’s a real problem, and Comcast investment in OIC Philadelphia helps us move up the dial on the work we’re trying to do.”

Saquanna Daniels is one of more than 51,000 people who have benefitted from OIC’s training programs throughout the decades.

She said the new investment from Comcast will be a big help to the community.

“It feels good to see that they are actually putting their money in the community,” she said. “To be honest, when I started the program, I didn’t have anything. I was not starting my life, so this program really helped me transform my life and get myself back together. And, with the program being in North Philly, I was able to walk here every single day.”

The OIC Lift Zone in North Philly is just one of many investments Comcast is making in tools, training and resources in Philadelphia and across the country through its $1 billion investment program, Project Up.

“It’s a part of our $1 billion commitment called the Project Up,” said Bret Perkins, SVP, External and Government Affairs, Comcast. “So that’s increasing access to the internet, creating more opportunities for digital skills training, and creating what we say is a future of unlimited possibilities.”

Comcast is the parent company of NBC10 Philadelphia.

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