At the southeastern end of San Francisco, in the Bayview district, you can find the Dr. George W. Davis Senior Residence and Center. It opened its doors in August 2016, and the following September there was a Comcast press event about how to close California’s digital divide. At that event, each resident was provided a laptop, enabling each one to participate in Comcast’s Internet Essentials program.
The Internet Essentials Senior Pilot program connects senior citizens to the Internet for a nominal monthly fee. It complements the SF Connected program, which provides accessible computer labs in senior centers across San Francisco, a program in which CTN plays a vital role by tutoring many of the seniors who visit the labs daily.
The Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) equipped the computer lab at the Dr. George W. Davis Center, making it possible for its seniors to become digitally literate. In addition to the computers in the lab, seniors can bring other digital devices into the lab to get help in operating them from scheduled on-site tutors.
CTN completed two rounds of laptop classes in the senior residence community room as a follow-up to the Comcast Internet Essentials program. The 15 residents received a certificate after completion of four classes. More laptop classes are scheduled.
The Dr. George W. Davis Senior Residence and Center has been a long-standing community dream that started with Dr. Davis’ vision of having a place within the Bayview neighborhood that allows seniors, regardless of income, to age with grace and dignity, enhanced by the digital skills training that CTN proudly provides.
