RICHARD McCOO

ABCD EAST BOSTON APAC

ABCD’s East Boston APAC has always been there for neighborhood residents – providing services and opportunities that give low-income families and individuals the tools they need to improve their quality of life and move up the ladder of economic opportunity: youth programs, job-training, fuel assistance, early education and more.

In recent years – as the Internet emerged as a key resource – East Boston APAC launched “Tech Goes Home,” providing 15 hours of free computer training with a web-based curriculum on accessing resources through the Internet, purchase of a new computer for $50, and help accessing discounted high-speed Internet service.

What did this course mean for Richard McCoo, 69-year-old East Boston resident? “I was interested in learning more about computers and I noticed a poster in my building,” said Richard. “I saw it as a chance to get connected with technology as well as people. As a senior, it’s easy to get socially isolated and the course brought people together. We learned about dialing 311 for city services, got an introduction to WebMD and Google Maps, became aware of a host of services and opportunities.”

He described how Yasmin Rodriguez, Tech Goes Home instructor, brought the course to life. “Once she had us pretend we were lost in Dorchester and needed to get to Fenway Park for a game,” he said. “We had to use Google Maps to get there by car or public transportation or biking or walking. It opened my eyes to what a computer program can do.”

Says Shirley Fajardo, Operations Manager, East Boston APAC, “Tech Goes Home is one more way that East Boston APAC is IN IT TOGETHER with our neighborhood and its people.”