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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARPA Funding Request for Connect through Tech In January 2020, the Oshkosh Seniors Center received a $152,000 grant from Bader Philanthropies to fund Connect through Tech so we could provide an inviting social environment that fostered learning about technology. The goal was to combat social isolation and loneliness through technology. The funding included:  New furniture.  Computer Hardware  Paid staff to conduct personal instruction Fast forward to March of 2020 and the onset of COVID. The Center closed in-person attendance through May of 2020, and Bader worked with us to “morph” the program to address the urgent needs created by COVID-19. The curriculum focused on virtual tools to maintain connections with family, friends, and healthcare providers. The program needed to address the basic technology needs of seniors, including online banking, accessing healthcare, and vital communications. Participants learned how to use Zoom to video chat with loved ones and assisted people in upgrading to smartphones so they could communicate using Facebook, sending and receiving photos, and watching online church services. Imagine waiting for your vaccination, but the registration was done electronically and you had no access. Connect through Tech bridged those gaps for hundreds of local older adults. We assisted individuals who lost their jobs unable to file for benefits because they needed the technology and knowledge to apply online for unemployment. We set up video chatting options for people with hearing challenges so they could read the lips of friends and family. The new post-COVID world is more demanding than ever. Seniors, need technology to live and achieve a decent quality of life and there is no other program in our community that offers one- on-one instruction adapted for seniors all year long. This program removes the barrier of not knowing how to use technology. These efforts align with the City’s Strategic Plan and the City’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan. Since 2020, the program has served 806 individuals who have attended 4,132 times to take individual instruction or participate in classroom offerings. In 2023, the Oshkosh Seniors Center served 460 people who attended 1,494 times. (Attached you will find the 2023 year-end report) The need to serve this sector remains strong, and our research shows that individual instruction is the best method. The Center must find additional funding for the part-time staff. Bader Philanthropies gave $29,000 more to fund part-time instructors in 2023, and with the remaining fund balance and a $5,000 contribution from the Women’s Fund, we can operate the program through May 2024. If unfunded we will have to discontinue the instruction hours. We ask for gap funding to cover two more years of the instructor’s salaries (30 hours a week for 50 weeks of the year) for a total of $65,990. Beyond May of 2026, the Friends of the Oshkosh Seniors Center will be able to fund this program as a result of accomplishing strategic initiatives. The Oshkosh Seniors Center’s funding is unique. The Center’s annual operating budget of $802,000 (0231-0760 and 0201-0760) is funded by a tax levy contribution of $393,500 (49%) and the remaining half of the Center’s budget comes from grants, donations, and fees from participants. If the Center wishes to add programming it needs to be funded through outside sources. The program led to:  Partnerships with UW Oshkosh’s Learning in Retirement.  The Oshkosh Public Library dedicated a community outreach person for instruction.  $10,000 in funding was received from AT&T to provide guest speakers about technology.  AT&T funding allowed us to provide free subscriptions to Seniors for GetSetUp, an online learning platform taught by seniors for seniors. Connect through Tech provides crucial services of teaching seniors how to use technology to address their basic needs and enrich the quality of their lives. The program is projected to serve over 450 older adults each year. Conducted surveys show participants are improving their technology skills and learning how to avoid digital fraud. Grant funding received through outside funders is assigned a special project account number. Expenses against available funds are tracked in MUNIS and supervised by the Senior Services Manager and the City of Oshkosh Finance Department. (See attached 2023 Budget Allocation) Thank you for this opportunity to apply for critical funding to teach technology to seniors who are often marginalized and excluded.