SF nonprofit feeds hunger for computer basics

San Francisco's St. Anthony Foundation, best known for serving meals to the needy for the past 58 years, has started feeding a new hunger among low-income Tenderloin area residents: for personal technology training. The new Employment Program and Tech Lab opened Oct. 3 as a one-stop center offering free training and Internet access for people with little or no access to a computer. The center, which has 37 computers, provides basic classes in Microsoft Word, Excel, e-mail and navigating the Web. It also offers training in how to create cover letters and resumes. Within a few days, the training classes were filled and the computer drop-in center, where clients can check e-mail and search sites like Craigslist or Monster.com for jobs, became constantly packed, said Karl Robillard, the center's program manager.