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By Mike Allen
Photo: Oasis trainer David Beevers helps Trinity Place resident John Hurst with his new tablet.
February 19, 2022 (San Diego) -- Getting the homeless off the streets is just one step in a multi-pronged approach to achieving a life of self-sufficiency. An example of a follow-up step is an innovative program by San Diego Oasis: giving low-income seniors and older homeless folks smart technology devices that can make a difference in their lives.
Earlier this month, about 25 residents of Trinity Place, a new Grantville residence serving formerly homeless seniors older than 55, received Samsung tablets and a training session on how to use the device from Oasis, which is based at Grossmont Center in La Mesa.
The group included folks who were savvy enough to ask about virus protection, and some who had difficulty figuring out how to swipe the display so they can write and receive email.
“There are some people who have never had email before, and some who didn’t know where the power button is. There are different levels,” said David Beevers, digital divide program manager for Oasis San Diego and trainer for the session at Trinity Place.
The idea is giving the formerly homeless an essential tool to help them stay connected and to make new connections, Beevers said.
Because so many offices, particularly health providers, shifted to providing services online during the pandemic, those without Internet connected devices were often overlooked, he said.
“There were so many places that were shut down, they weren’t answering phones,” he said. “This gives them a way to get in touch, or apply online (for a job)….If you’re looking for a job, you don’t swing by with a paper resume anymore. It’s all online.”
In addition to getting basic training on how to use the tablet, the Trinity Place residents also were given a $100 card for Oasis classes, and 12 months of Internet access.
Most of the residents were familiar with cell phones, but hadn’t owned a tablet before.
“I think (the tablet) is excellent, I love it,” said Fran Dryden, who said she had been homeless for about four and a half years. Asked what she was going to use the device for, Dryden, 65, said simply, “for education.”
One of 74 residents of Trinity Place, Dryden said likes the bright, modern facility at 7240 Mission Gorge Road that opened in September. “It’s very nice, it’s a roof over my head,” she said.
David Webster, 58, said he’s been a Trinity resident for about three months. “This (tablet) is giving me a second chance to gain employment,” he said. Webster said he intends to use the Oasis classes for continuing education, and finding a welding job.
John Hurst, 55, a wheelchair-bound Trinity Place resident, said he was familiar with computers having worked at one time refurbishing and reselling them online. But tablets weren’t around then so he was still learning the basics like how to use the various buttons, and what it can do, he said. “There are so many options on it,” Hurst said. “I plan on taking some of those classes (from Oasis) to find out how to better use it.”
Funding for the Oasis Digital Divide Program totals more than $500,000, enough to pay for some 700 tablets. The funding came from donations by corporations, nonprofit foundations and private contributors. Among some of the corporate sponsors and philanthropic donors are the San Diego Foundation, the North County Covid Recovery Fund, the Matthews Foundation, C.J. and Dot Stafford Memorial Trust, the Gary and Mary West Foundation, San Diego Rotary 33, Harrah’s Rincon Casino, French Weaver Foundation, and the Kaiser Foundation.
Oasis, a nonprofit that provides an array of continuing education classes to older adults through it’s La Mesa facility, is reaching out to obtain more corporate and private donations for the Digital Divide program. It’s also looking for volunteers to provide the training to adults who never owned such tech devices, said Jolyn Parker, Oasis vice president of external relations.
Among the organizations that work with Oasis in distributing the tablets are the Alliance for African Assistance, St. Paul’s PACE and Catholic Charities, all of which operate residences serving low-income seniors.
Parker also credited AT&T for its role in securing the tablets from Samsung. She noted the devices have made a huge difference to many seniors who are not restrained in how they are used.
“They can use them in whatever way they want, but especially for tele-health services, talking with family and friends, and learning things,” Parker said. “Many of these seniors are isolated and lonely, and this will be a way of combating that.”
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