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Senior Connects “Thanks You!”
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
INDIANPOLIS COLTS PLAYER TARIK GLENN AND HIS WIFE
MAYA DONATES $50,000 IN COMPUTERS TO SENIOR CONNECTS, A LOCAL
YOUTH-RUN INTERNET LITERACY GROUP
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Tarik Glenn has signed his fair share of autographs
for thousands of Hoosiers; Number 78 is an eight year veteran
of the Indianapolis Colts and was a first round draft pick by
the Colts. A “real” sports hero, Mr. Glenn is known
as one of four Colts players with more than 100 consecutive starts,
and as a key member of a line that paved the way for the Colts
to produce more than 5,000 net yards in six consecutive seasons,
a 51-year franchise record.
But there’s another and perhaps even more important side
of Tarik
Glenn. It’s a side that doesn’t make the sports
sections each week, but it’s one that makes him a local
hero and a role model with a heart, according to many Indianapolis
youths. Glenn has quietly spent much of his life helping others;
from delivering presents to needed families during Christmas to
delivering “baskets of hope” to terminally ill cancer
patients; and from providing hundreds of Indianapolis youths the
opportunity to empower themselves via the T.R.U.S.T. the D.R.E.A.M
clinic, to founding the D.R.E.A.M.
Alive foundation together with his wife Maya - a nonprofit
that provides underserved youths Discipline, Responsibility, Education,
Achievement, and Motivation.
And on Christmas, December 25, 2004, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn donated
$50,000 in computers to help Senior Connects, a local organization
of middle and high school students that have helped hundreds either
gain access to computers or receive training on computer and the
Internet. The hundreds of computers that Mr. and Mrs. Glenn are
donating to us will help the Senior Connects team provide computer
access to thousands of underserved Hoosiers in 2005!
“Being a member of the Colts has enabled me to spend my
time and dedicate my energy in helping others,” says Tarik
Glenn, “and one of the most meaningful of these opportunities
has been my ability to help make a difference to kids and underserved
families in Indiana. Senior Connects illustrates what happens
when middle and high school students decide to make a difference
in our community. In 2004, they have established public computer
labs in over sixty independent and assisted living facilities,
and Daniel has even helped teach some of my D.R.E.A.M Alive kids
how to use computers that we provided them as part of our program.
While I do play ball for the Colts, it doesn’t matter what
someone’s profession is,” Tarik Glenn continued. “What
really matters is that we all try our best and in our own way
to make a difference by giving something back to our community
and especially our youths.”
Senior Connects feels that Tarik Glenn is the most influential
and lasting type of hero to many of us kids. He helps others because
it’s his passion, and by leading through this type of example,
he is influencing my generation in a lasting and extraordinary
manner.
THANKS!
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10,000 INDIANA SENIOR CITIZENS GAIN
ACCESS TO COMPUTERS AS SENIOR CONNECTS PARTNERS WITH ASSET FORWARDING
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Senior Connects is a youth-run
501(c)(3) corporation that refurbishes computers and builds
computer labs inside Independent and Assisted Living Facilities
so that mobility-impaired and seniors without reliable transportation
can gain access to computers and the Internet. They also spend
up to five months teaching senior citizens, who range into their
mid-90’s, how to access the Internet and connect to their
grandchildren and friends via email. “This year, we received
requests from over 60 independent and assisted living facilities
in central Indiana with over 10,000 seniors that needed additional
computers,” says Daniel Kent, a sophomore at Brebeuf Jesuit
Preparatory School and Senior Connects’ founder. So we
established a SWAT team of a few of the dozens of middle and
high school volunteers to focus on refurbishing computers.”
Kyle Egbert, Stafford Brunk, and Zack Carr of Carmel High School
along with Daniel Kent and Brian Kelly of Brebeuf Jesuit teamed
together to build over 100 computers. During a month computer
building focus, Matt May of Carmel High School kept the organization’s
training programs on track so that the computer refurbishing
program could be expedited.
“We had dozens of independent and assisted
living facilities that asked for computers for their residents,
but most of us that volunteer are not old enough to drive and
we usually have lots of homework to do after school,”
said Kent. “So how could we deliver these computers to
the many senior facilities scattered throughout the Indianapolis
metropolitan area?”
That’s where an existing partnership with
Asset Forwarding, an Indianapolis-based full-service EPA compliant
and environmentally friendly electronics recycling firm, paid
big dividends to Senior Connects and thousands of senior citizens.
“Senior Connects originally partnered with Asset Forwarding
because they were a generous and honorable company that wanted
to give something back to the Indianapolis community,”
said Kent. “We had committed to help Senior Connects by
providing them 100 refurbished computers this year,” says
Mark Vander Kooy, Asset Forwarding’s President, “because
we knew these extraordinary youths were spending their weekends
helping seniors stay connected to their families by teaching
them how to use computers and access the Net. But as a growing
company that owes its success to the support we have received
from Indianapolis businesses, Asset Forwarding decided to make
an increased commitment to help these volunteers and the thousands
of underserved seniors. So together with some of the members
of the Asset Forwarding team, we visited dozens of facilities
to deliver the refurbished computers.”
“We couldn’t have done this without
the support of Asset
Forwarding,” says Daniel Kent. “They stepped
forward and made an extraordinary commitment to the Indianapolis
community by helping us realize our vision of improving senior
citizen computer literacy. The entire Senior Connects team is
grateful for the significant part they have played by empowering
us to provide increased computer access to more than 10,000
senior citizens in 2004.” Senior Connects and Asset Forwarding
– two organizations that have partnered together to improve
the quality of life for thousands or Hoosiers.
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To an anonymous Indianapolis organization for being Senior
Connects’ first financial backer and agreeing to help
us by matching all grants and other monies raised on a one-to-one
basis up to $10,000!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To an anonymous Carmel company for agreeing to help Senior
Connects by matching all grants and other money raised on
a one-to-one basis up to $12,500!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Carmel
Clay Public Library in Carmel, Indiana, for graciously
donating their proven basic computer and Internet training
programs that became the foundation of the Senior Connect
training program! And for establishing the Teen Volunteer
Corps community outreach program that has made a difference
to senior citizens and elementary school students by teaching
them basic computer and Internet skills, and made a difference
to students that have learned and grown by participating in
this program! And especially to Miss. Hope Baugh, Young Adult
Service Department Manager and Miss. Jamie Beckman, Teen Volunteer
Coordinator and Marian Corya, Reference Services Library.
Also, The Carmel Clay Public Library donated 80 computers
and monitors to Senior Connects!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To Sunrise
Senior Living’s Forum at the Crossing for being
the first Independent Care Facility to participate in the
Senior Connects program. And especially to Mrs. Julie Boone,
Director of Resident Services!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To Lynn Sygiel, Y-Press
Bureau Director, an independent news bureau producing
a week column that is written by kids for kids and published
in the Indianapolis
Star and to Ieva Grundy, Adolescent Programs Manager for
the Children’s
Museum of Indianapolis for helping support the grant application
process!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Rough
Notes for their contribution of computers and monitors
that will allow us to help serve Independent Living Facilities,
and especially Mr. Walter Gdowski!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Wood-Meizer
for their contribution of computers and monitors that will
allow us to help serve Independent Living Facilities, and
especially to Mr. Egbert who hauled well over 60 computers
home for us!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To Kohl’s program “Kohl’s
in the Community,” which provided a member of the
Senior Connects organization a $1,000 grant that helped Senior
Connectss through 2004!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To Josh Miles of Miles
Design for his intellectual and financial assistance developing
a logo for Senior Connects
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Indianapolis
Computer Society and especially Mr. Bill Lawless for his
assistance obtaining material and resources for Senior Connects!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Fund
Raiser Magic and especially Mr. Brian Mayo for his assistance
helping with technical issues for Senior Connects!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Boxed
Art for their assistance and contribution helping build
the Senior Connects Website!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To The
City of Carmel for their being the first city to support
us by helping hold a city wide computer drive, which netted
Senior Connects over 100 computers!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Indianapolis
Professional Association for their support of Senior Connects!!
The IPA is Indianapolis’ premier proactive networking,
youth-oriented, and educational organization for area African-American
professionals and businesspersons!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Indianapolis
Housing Agency, and especially Mr. Thomas Risher, and
this agency’s ability to mobilize over 50 Indianapolis
volunteers residing in city facilities to make a different
in their communities by volunteering their time to help their
communities and facilities containing senior citizens and
disabled individuals learn basic computer and Internet skills!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the Walker
Career Center, and especially Mrs. Allyson Strother, whose
insight and community orientation envisioned a partnership
where Senior Connects and the Walker Career Center could collaborate
together in a synergistic relationship – and to the
31 junior and senior high school students at Warren Central
High School that are volunteering their time to help senior
citizens and making a difference in their community!!
THANKS!
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To Do
Something’s BRICK Award program – that recognized
Senior Connects as a 2005 National Winner and had President
Clinton present the company with a $10,000 award
THANKS!
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THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
To the over 100 middle and high school volunteers,
that have volunteered their time to help senior citizens learn
basic computer and Internet skills, empowering them to more
effectively communicate with friends and family members, and
stay connected and knowledgeable in an online world!!!
THANKS!
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