"The mission of Chester County InterLink (CCIL) is to ensure that Chester County residents and organizations have easy and equitable electronic access to information while encouraging interaction among them as part of an electronic community." - CCIL Mission Statement
WHAT IS CHESTER COUNTY INTERLINK (CCIL)?
Chester County Interlink is an all-volunteer, non-profit
501(c)(3) organization founded in 1993 by Jordan Seidel and Eric Raymond.
Major supporters include Chester County Hospital and West Chester University.
CCIL is now one of the few remaining FreeNet services in the country. CCIL is
financed almost exclusively through user donations.
CCIL makes free Internet access and related services
available to all who live, work or attend school in Chester County. In
addition, CCIL provides web hosting and related ancillary services for a
number of Chester County non-profit organizations including The Salvation
Army, West Chester Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity and Grove United
Methodist Church.
Among CCIL users benefiting are senior citizens, the
disabled, lower income citizens and those who may not ordinarily have the
finances to support hardware purchases and/or Internet service. Moreover, in
addition to equipment and Internet service needs, CCIL volunteers provide
users with required instruction, set-up and general handholding. CCIL
combines the best of high tech along with high touch to ensure end users
achieve maximum benefit from their Internet access.
CCIL's strongest assets are our community support,
primarily from Chester County Hospital and West Chester University, our solid
volunteer base and donations from our users. Through our community and
corporate outreach programs, CCIL envisions broadening existing Internet
access services and continuing to make technology upgrades.
Accessibility: By providing "equal access" possibilities to an increasingly larger portion of Chester County's population CCIL is slowly helping make the web and the resources it provides more accessible. CCIL has furthered this commitment by placing FreeLink Computers and Terminals at various public locations around Chester County (including Community Centers, Libraries, and Senior Centers).
Volunteers: Most of CCIL's operations are managed and aided by volunteers. It is the efforts of this ds from the Board of Directors to the Charter Sponsors that make CCIL possible. Involvement is strongly encouraged both through financial donations and by lending a helping hand.
Community: The heart of every venture is the community that surrounds it; CCIL is no exception. Beyond its Internet borders CCIL helps host many other events in West Chester and the surrounding areas. These events include the CCIL Annual Picnic, The West Chester Bicentennial, and other community initiatives.
