On a beautiful Thursday morning in February, kind words and smiling faces lit up the the Boynton Beach Xfinity store – as some incredible people walked into the location. You could feel the love in the air. Love for a sister battling an illness. Love for a grandchild in need of supervision. The emotions exuded from a special group – the Healthier Boynton Beach Caregivers Club – who gathered with purpose.
The 12 women received an awesome opportunity – free digital skills training and much-needed tech devices. Eleanor Parker sat and intently listened to the instructor, for good reason. She helps care for her granddaughter and great grandson who are growing up in a digital world.
“My kids know a lot about technology. This will help me keep up with them,” Parker said. “This was a great experience! I feel really positive about the relationship between Xfinity and the senior community.”
The digital training opportunity inside the Xfinity store came from a growing partnership between Comcast and Healthier Boynton Beach. The store’s impressive space provided the perfect place for Veronica Bowles to learn about fundamental computer skills like placing video calls or sending emails to loved ones. Bowles’ sibling is battling a serious illness.
“I can use what I learned today to help find information about my sister’s illness,” Bowles said. “I’m also a grandmother and am looking forward to using my skills to be able to support my grandkids.”
Healthier Boynton Beach joined Comcast for the Xfinity’s store grand opening last fall. As part of the celebration, the tech company donated laptops to Healthier Boynton Beach to give caregivers easy access to devices. Those laptops are now in the hands of kind-hearted people like Eleanor Parker and Veronica Bowles to help make their daily lives easier.
Ricky Petty manages the project at Healthier Boynton Beach. He said partnerships like the ones with Comcast are a game-changer for the community. Access to digital skills isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
“This training is a great opportunity for these caregivers. It helps close the digital inclusion gap by teaching them how to navigate their new devices,” Petty said. “It will make their caregiving responsibilities easier by allowing them to use telemedicine. They can make doctor’s appointments for their loved ones.”
James Molnar with TDM Technologies said he’s seen the transformational changes that these types of digital classes can bring. He was happy to see the women engaging in the course and taking notes while they asked questions about cloud computing and how to create a strong password.
Freddy Alvarez leads the Xfinity store in Boynton Beach. He sees customers who could benefit from this type of training. Alvarez said it was heartwarming to be part of the training and witness the women learn a new skill.
“We are so happy to host this course at our store. We collaborate with our partners to expand digital opportunity to the community,” Alvarez said. “It means a lot that we’re able to help kick off these caregivers’ digital journeys and get them connected. I love working with groups like this who sincerely want to learn.”
At the end of the lesson, the women didn’t just leave with new laptops. They left with new digital skills and a renewed purpose to continue giving the best possible care to those they love the most.
