Grade school students across New Jersey are getting laptops and tablets as the school year starts virtually for many districts.

But there is also a grassroots campaign in Asbury Park to get college students the help that they need.

Anyea Myles is a college freshman. She says that she and many of her classmates felt stuck when starting Pittsburgh University this year.

“Like, what are we going to do? How am I going to take classes? Like scrounge up some money to afford a computer?” Myles says.

The need for computers and devices among recent Asbury Park High School graduates caught the attention of city and school officials.

“Once they leave us, it’s kind of like, ‘We wish you well.’ This is kind of where the community jumps in and says, ‘Nah, we want to be part of that,’” says Asbury Park School Superintendent Sancha Gray.

Myles now has her own laptop thanks to a donation by Asbury Park Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn. And starting this week, the community is spreading the word about laptop donations taking place for Asbury Park students who are entering college. A GoFundMe page was also started to raise money for the computers.

Asbury Park residents Madeline and Catherine are spreading the word throughout their apartment building.

“It’s a very grassroots kind of effort,” says Madeline Monaco. We’ll just kind of see how it goes and we hope to get as many as we can.”

Myles says that she is grateful for the donations and the effort.

“I wouldn’t even be enrolled right now. I wouldn’t make it without that computer, so I’m very thankful that they gave me one,” she says.

Asbury Park Board of Education President Angel Ahbez-Anderson says of the graduates, “You’re still our children, so yes, you’re very important to us.”

Organizers say that they are looking for gently-used laptops that are no more than 3 or 4 years old. The goal is to collect at least 48 laptops overall – the number of Asbury Park’s 2020 high school graduates who are attending college this fall.