By Cassidy Knowlton
But last Thursday that changed when high school senior Li Qian gave her her first computer lesson on one of the two new computers purchased by the retirement community with money obtained by Flushing Assemblymen Brian McLaughlin and Barry Grodenchik. Grodenchik attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new computers.Qian is one of many high school students who volunteer at the retirement community. He and Swirin went over using a computer and navigating the Web. They set up an e-mail account for Swirin from which she says she will be able to see pictures of her daughter's new baby. She said that her other grandchildren have begged her to learn to use a computer so that they can talk to her more often.Barbara Lopez, director of activities at the community, said that many of the approximately 300 seniors who are residents there are eager to learn to use the Internet in order to keep in closer touch with family members. “If it brings people closer to their families, it's a wonderful thing,” she said. Grodenchik said that the new machines and computer skills will give the seniors access to a wide world of information that until now has been closed to them. “It will provide a portal to the entire world – most of these folks will have never been on the Internet before,” he said.Lopez, along with director of community relations Robert Salant and other administrators at the community, filed with Assemblyman McLaughlin for the money for the new machines. He came up with $7,000 for the project, and Grodenchik gave the center $1,500 more. The additional money was used for a DVD player and a CD player and media to play on both.Lopez said that there was no shortage of high school students volunteering for the program.”They're just coming in by the droves,” she said, eager to teach the seniors how to write documents in Microsoft Word, use the Internet effectively for information and communication and other computer skills.Herbert Larsen, another resident of the community, said that his first lesson went very well. “It takes time to get acclimated,” he said, but “everything was great.” Swirin was also glad to get into the world of computers. “At first I thought, 'What's the use of me learning all this stuff?'” she said. “But some people go to college at this age,” she laughed. “I'm not that ambitious.”Reach intern Cassidy Knowlton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com.
