Illinois Senior Internet Adoption Coalition and Congressman Danny K. Davis to Announce Federal ARRA and Illinois Jobs Now! Grants

Illinois Senior Internet Adoption Coalition and Congressman Danny K. Davis to Announce Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Illinois Jobs Now! Grants for Broadband Adoption Project

I am very pleased to announce that a project for whom I provided technical assistance through the Illinois ResourceNet has received state and federal funding to provide computer training, equipment and high speed internet service for seniors in 23 publicly-funded senior buildings throughout northern Illinois. Illinois Senior Internet Adoption Coalition Congressman Danny K. Davis will be holding a press conference on Monday, October 4, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. at Habilitative Systems, Inc. (HSI), 425 South Kilpatrick, in Chicago. More details are found in the press release below. I hope to see you there.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2010

Contact: Ira Cohen (office of Rep. Danny K. Davis)
773-533-7520

The Illinois Senior Internet Adoption Coalition and Congressman Danny K. Davis will announce federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Illinois Jobs Now! grants for broadband adoption project to help Illinois low income seniors and people with disabilities cross the digital divide

Press Conference
10:00 a.m.
Monday, October 4, 2010
HSI
415 South Kilpatrick
Chicago, Illinois 60644

The Illinois Senior Internet Adoption Coalition and Congressman Danny K. Davis — a group of nine Illinois public housing authorities, five private providers of affordable housing and other partners — will announce that its program to get Illinois low income seniors and people with disabilities across the Digital Divide has won awards worth $5.9 million from the federal and Illinois governments. MyWay Village, Inc., the grant awardee, will be responsible for the implementation of the program at 23 rural, suburban and inner-city sites in Illinois over the next 24 months.

“Senior citizens and people with disabilities need adequate, affordable access to the tools of the 21st century,” said U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis. “This project represents a powerful way to close the digital divide by increasing computer training and high-speed Internet availability in our Illinois communities.”

The program will fund new computer equipment, Internet access and Connected Livingr training programs to over 3,000 residents of low income housing in Northern Illinois as well as to residents in surrounding neighborhoods. Connected Living by MyWay Village is a comprehensive technology adoption program that combines simplified technology with engaging training content and curriculum delivered by Ambassadors who are expert at getting first-time users online.

Low Income seniors and people with disabilities will gain new computer skills, improved communications with family and friends and better access to valuable information, education and health services. Trainees who pass a basic computer proficiency test will receive a highly discounted computer and Internet service. The program will collect adoption data, evaluate best practices and disseminate learning to affordable housing managers through a series of conferences and online tools.

“Low income seniors and affordable housing communities in Illinois deserve equal access to technologies that can deliver better health and economic opportunity,” said Sarah Hoit, CEO and Co-Founder of MyWay Village. “Over the last three years, we have connected thousands of seniors with our `high-tech and high-touch’ approach which has proven to be a winning combination.”

The partners in the Illinois Senior Internet Adoption Coalition include:

o Atmosphere Communications
o The Benton Foundation
o Bethel New Life (Chicago)
o BMA Management
o Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb
o DSSA Strategies
o Grundy County Housing Authority
o Habilitative Systems (Chicago)
o Housing Authority of Henry County
o Housing Authority of Joliet
o Kankakee County Housing Authority
o Moline Housing Authority
o MyWay Village, Inc.
o Oak Park Housing Authority
o Rockford Housing Authority
o Rock Island Housing Authority
o Sankofa Safe Child Initiative (Chicago)
o Senior Lifestyle Corporation

More than $4.7 million in federal funding was awarded competitively through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). More than $1.2 million in Illinois Jobs Now! public works funding provided the financial support needed to secure the federal award for Illinois, and coalition partners are contributing and additional $0.9 million in matching funds to bring the total project value to $6.8 million.

About MyWay Village, Inc.

MyWay Village, Inc. is a Quincy, MA based social impact company. The Connected Livingr program currently serves thousands of seniors residing in communities managed by such thought-leading organizations as Brookdale Senior Living, Emeritus Senior Living, Benchmark Senior Living, Beacon Communities and the Atlanta Housing Authority. For more information, visit www.connectedliving.com, call the Connected Living Center at 800.223.5080, or view our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/connectedliving)

–
Ira Cohen
Director of Issues and Communication
Representative Danny K. Davis (IL07)