The Ohio State University

The AccessAll Initiative focused on bringing internet access to Habitat homeowners that closed the lease on their homes in a select time frame, and helped about 40 families. Now, this program is called Connect Columbus and is focused on helping the rest of HFHGC’s 200 families to get access to computers and the internet. Currently, Habitat families are being asked about the state of their electronic access to determine their needs. Once the surveys are returned, we’ll have a better appreciation for how many families need computers, and which computer skills they would like help with. But even now there are opportunities for you to get involved:

1. Many of these families do not know the basics concerning using a computer or internet safety, along with other important skills. If you’re familiar with the Westminster retirement community project, this is very similar. Habitat needs volunteers to help teach the next couple classes:
Saturday, November 14: Computer basics and internet safety, 1-4 pm
Saturday, December 20: Ebay and job searching, Time TBA, ~2 hours
Thursday, January 27: Online budgeting, Time TBA, ~2 hours

Lessons are once a month and offered at the main Columbus Library.

For the first couple lessons, our role as volunteers will be to help those taking the classes with any problems they have. In the future, however, it would be great if we could create lesson plans on things like Microsoft Office. If you’re interested in making a lesson plan for software skills, let us know, and we’ll help you make it!

2. Learn how to recycle and/or build computers with Freegeek Columbus or Parity International. ECOS can 'earn' computers by volunteering at Freegeek, which we will then donate to Connect Columbus to be installed in Habitat homes, and the computers we help refurbish with Parity International will go directly to Connect Columbus as well.

3. Create a webportal for this program. We're considering making a wiki for the
purpose of helping homeowners. It can be a resource for questions or problems, helpful links, etc. We're open to suggestions and very appreciative of any help!

4. In the future we will help install computers in Habitat homes and help homeowners get comfortable using them. Stay tuned for this opportunity!

Please note: if you want to help directly with Habitat (i.e., teaching classes or installing computers), you will need to attend a volunteer orientation at the ReStore. Please let us know if you haven’t attended an orientation before, and we can try to set up a special orientation for those interested from our group. We can also arrange to have a Connect Columbus information session in the same time frame.

If you would like to get involved in any of these opportunities, please contact Abed at el-husseini.1[at]osu.edu.