Volunteer Spotlights Archives - Community Tech Network

Celebrating Gabriella Lazarcheff: A Spotlight on Service

jess — Sat, 11 May 2024 03:38:40 +0000

At Community Tech Network, we are committed to bridging the digital divide and empowering individuals with the skills and resources they need to thrive in today’s digital world. Our partnership with California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), has been instrumental in achieving this mission, and we are constantly inspired by the dedication and talent of the students who volunteer with us. Today, we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on one such remarkable individual: Gabriella Lazarcheff. Gabby joined us as a volunteer in the fall of 2023, eager to make a difference and lend her expertise in communication design to our cause. Little did we know then just how impactful her contributions would be. Gabby’s journey with CTN began with a focus on enhancing our social media presence, particularly on Pinterest. With her keen eye for design and her passion for effective communication, Gabby played a pivotal role in launching and developing our Pinterest account. Her creative vision and dedication to our mission were evident in every pin, infographic, and post she crafted. Gabby’s impact didn’t go unnoticed. We are thrilled to announce that she has been selected to receive CSUMB’s Service Learning Award in Communication Design this year. This […]

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Digital Equality Advocate: Dee Davila’s Volunteer Story

jess — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 15:15:48 +0000

At Community Tech Network, we believe in the transformative power of digital equity, and our volunteers play a crucial role in making a difference in people’s lives. Today, we want to shine a spotlight on Dee Davila, a passionate and dedicated volunteer who recently hosted a webinar and offered tech support Q&A sessions for our learners. In this post, we will delve into Dee’s journey, their motivation to give back, and the impact they have had on our community. Dee Davila, a rising fourth-year student at California State University Monterey Bay, is pursuing a degree in communications with a concentration in legal studies. Looking for an opportunity to give back to the community, they learned about Community Tech Network through a professor. “I saw in my own family that I was always the one who really understood computers. Technology is constantly changing, especially with the advent of things like smartphones and digital wallets. There are lots of little things that many older people don’t know how to operate, and I wanted to help bring people up to speed with technology. I don’t want to let anyone stay behind,” says Dee. As a volunteer with CTN, Dee began by hosting Q&A […]

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Superstar CTN Volunteer Hosts Webinar to Teach Older Adults How to Use WhatsApp

jess — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 13:54:36 +0000

Kristy Ng, a recent graduate of the University of San Francisco with a degree in business administration in management, first learned about Community Tech Network when CTN’s Pat Jew spoke in her community-engaged learning (CEL) class. Kristy began volunteering with CTN in person at our partner sites, such as the I.T. Bookman Community Center, the Sequoia Living Aquatic Park Senior Center, and the Stonestown Family YMCA. Her duties included hosting tech support drop-in hours and helping people enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program during pop-up workshops. Last fall, Kristy took her volunteering skills to the next level when she and a classmate, Alicia Yue, decided to offer a webinar through CTN to teach older adults how to use WhatsApp, a messaging and calling app that is commonly used to keep in touch with loved ones living in countries outside of the U.S. What made the presentation really unique was its accessibility. Says Kristy: “When I was volunteering in person, I helped a woman that had arthritis and struggled to do the two-finger scroll to use the touchpad on her laptop. The experience helped me realize that, even with all of today’s technology, things are not always accessible. This encouraged me […]

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Volunteer Spotlight: Ryan Huang

jess — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 04:45:35 +0000

Several years ago, Ryan Huang began volunteering as a bilingual digital coach for CTN’s Home Connect program after learning about CTN through his aunt, who works for Glide, a partner organization. Says Ryan, “It seemed like CTN was really changing lives. I immediately knew that I wanted to volunteer.” Recently Ryan transitioned from an extraordinary volunteer with CTN to a part-time staff member. Overall, he has trained seven learners, five of whom have already graduated from the program. He moved to the U.S. from China when he was 11 and now offers classes in Cantonese to other immigrants in the Bay Area. “It’s been amazing to build connections with the learners. They’re so excited every time that I teach them something new,” he says. The impact of Ryan’s work has been tangible. He says, “My learners tell me that they feel less isolated. Thanks to the internet, they can keep in touch with their friends. Mentally, learning how to use technology has been a huge help for them.” Aside from teaching his learners how to use social media and email so that they can stay connected with their loved ones, Ryan also enjoys explaining how to browse the web. “During […]

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Third-Year College Student Ivy Discusses the Joys of Volunteering with CTN

jess — Thu, 26 May 2022 14:27:56 +0000

During the pandemic, Ivy Au, a third-year neurobiology student at UC San Diego, decided to volunteer with Community Tech Network. “Because of COVID, I recognized the importance of the internet. I was able to stay connected with my doctors and teachers, and every part of my life basically continued. I realized I was fortunate to be able to access technology,” says Ivy. Wanting to give back, Ivy became a digital coach with CTN. She hosts weekly lessons with Renee, a senior citizen, and tailors her classes to meet Renee’s needs. Says Ivy, “Many senior citizens are so unfamiliar with technology that they are afraid to use it. I teach according to their comfort level and help them gain skills that they can use in everyday life.” Overall, Ivy thinks that digital coaching improves seniors’ mental health by giving them access to three critical resources: social interaction, entertainment, and healthcare. Socially, Renee has become a major fan of Facebook, connecting with family and friends and participating in local online groups. With Ivy’s help, Renee also signed up to check out books and movies online through the Free Public Library’s website, providing her with much-needed entertainment during the pandemic. She learned how […]

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Creating Inclusive Technology with Volunteer Mary Grace Reich

Anna Beth Lane — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 14:00:58 +0000

“With CTN, it’s really nice to be able to work towards technology having a positive impact on the day-to-day lives of San Franciscans and Bay Area residents through digital coaching.” — Mary Grace Reich, volunteer digital coach Introducing technology to digital novices has been a key part of Mary Grace’s work for several years. After graduating college, she joined the Peace Corps and spent two years teaching English in Namibia. The school she worked at had recently acquired wireless internet, and most of her colleagues and students had never used it before. Although this work was challenging at times, the experience left Mary Grace feeling hopeful about the power technology could provide communities. Upon returning to the U.S., Mary Grace began working with a global nonprofit organization that partnered with libraries and librarians to improve access and benefit from technology. She then took a job with a tech startup in hopes of creating a more immediate positive impact in the realm of global development. The startup focuses on crowdsourcing data globally by paying people to partake in surveys and observational tasks. What’s motivating about this work, Mary Grace says, is that it “gives a voice to people that aren’t often included […]

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Volunteer Spotlight: Jack Fellows

Anna Beth Lane — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 15:17:00 +0000

A native of the UK, Jack Fellows originally moved to California to complete his MBA in data analytics. While finishing up his degree, he wanted to invest in the community and give back in some way. Though he didn’t quite have the means to donate financially, he could donate his spare time as he hunted for postgrad employment. This led Jack to find CTN’s volunteer digital coach opportunities. Realizing it would make a great fit for his background in tech, Jack applied and completed his volunteer training in early November. Since then, Jack has completed his digital coaching lessons with Home Connect learner Claxton. Each week, the two met virtually to work on new digital skills — from using YouTube, finding social services, enjoying music, to using communication tools. Claxton was especially excited when he learned to respond to his daughter’s emails without having to call her. “With these types of programs, you think, ‘I’m just going to help someone with technology and help them use it,’ but it’s much more than that,” Jack reflects. “It’s for people to socialize and talk to someone new. My learner and I have established quite an emotional connection. I even sent him some […]

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Making Connections with Volunteer Jim Hu

Anna Beth Lane — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 15:36:47 +0000

“During the pandemic, I hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to many new people,” reflects CTN volunteer Jim Hu. “Once I got into volunteering, I became more engaged in talking to people and gained confidence in talking to elders. Now, I’m more active in meeting new people and stepping out of my comfort zone.” Originally from China, Jim Hu moved to California about 11 years ago. He is currently finishing up his final year at the University of San Francisco, where he studies business management. As a part of his studies, Jim took a course on community service learning that required him to complete a number of volunteer hours. Excited by the opportunity, Jim looked over the list of organizations his professor provided to see what might make the best fit for his interests and skills. He was quickly intrigued by CTN’s digital literacy training for seniors and thought it would suit him well. “I saw CTN and thought, oh, helping seniors expand their social network and online … I’m really interested in that,” Jim reflects. “It sounded like a great opportunity for me to help other seniors get involved in the community. It also seemed like it would be a […]

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In the Computer Lab with Volunteer Rafael Z.

Anna Beth Lane — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:26:34 +0000

When Rafael Z. found himself with extra time on his hands, he knew that volunteering would be a fulfilling way to spend it. The San Francisco native has worked a variety of jobs over the years. After graduating with a degree in sociology, he has worked with nonprofit organizations and regularly picks up freelance work and one-off jobs. This eclectic career lends Rafael plenty of flexibility to organize his own schedule and invest in his community. “I really enjoy volunteering,” says Rafael. “I haven’t done much of it since the pandemic started. I wanted to get a little more involved, especially since work has been a little slow. I knew it’d be a good way to end the year.” As a subscriber to dozens of volunteer email lists, Rafael can’t quite remember how he came across CTN’s opportunities. We’re glad he did, though! After completing his volunteer training, Rafael became a regular at our San Francisco partner site, the Downtown Senior Center. Unlike many of our digital coach volunteers — who virtually train learners one-on-one — Rafael works with ongoing learners and new tech users in person. Every week, he spends an afternoon at the Center’s computer lab answering tech-related […]

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Volunteer Spotlight: Hanyang Xu

Anna Beth Lane — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 15:23:01 +0000

“Every time I start working with the older adults, I feel like I’m shortening the gap between our generation and theirs,” says volunteer digital coach Hanyang Xu. Originally from China, Hanyang immigrated to the U.S. when he was in middle school. After graduating from Berkeley High School, he began his studies in business and computer science at San Francisco State University. He first heard about CTN’s volunteer opportunities through his Berkeley Community Scholars Program. An alumnus of the program recommended our digital coach program to Hanyang as a way to gain experience and strengthen his social skills — especially with older adults. With a desire to help others, Hanyang applied and soon completed volunteer training with CTN. Since August, Hanyang has worked with two Cantonese-speaking learners. In these lessons, Hanyang slowly covers the basics of digital literacy. Beyond these skills, Hanyang has taught his learners how to use online shopping functions, look at stocks, and use other apps of interest. At times, translating technical language into understandable terms can be a challenge. However, Hanyang is happy to learn alongside his learners as they navigate new apps together. “It’s really interesting to work with them because I’m also learning with them,” […]

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