Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center is the largest provider of homeless services in Austin, Texas. They offer pathways to housing for people experiencing homelessness through low-barrier access to wraparound services. Their innovative, trauma-informed, and person-centered programming engages communities and leads to systemwide transformation.
From a clothing store and food line to mental and physical healthcare, substance abuse programs, and economic assistance, Sunrise supports individuals throughout their entire journey with homelessness.
Sunrise also assists individuals with applying for jobs, housing, and government assistance. The organization helps locate vital documents (including birth certificates) needed for applications and even has an on-site notary. There’s also a mailroom where individuals can receive and store mail, ensuring they never lose important documents.
However, many processes have a much quicker turnaround when completed online. To address this need, Sunrise opened its first computer lab in January 2024.
To better support clients in the lab, Sunrise volunteers underwent training from Community Tech Network (CTN) as part of a grant from Methodist Healthcare Ministries. Quintasia Houston, Sunrise’s Digital Connector, stated: “This training has been really helpful in teaching us how to talk to clients in the computer lab, engage them, and provide them with the best resources and assistance. There are so many different resources to pull from in Austin, and you never want to give random information. It’s good to have guidance.”
As new volunteers join the Sunrise team, the staff plans to train them with the knowledge they’ve gained from CTN, fostering a sustainable digital equity effort.
Looking ahead, Sunrise aims to ensure individuals have access to devices even outside the center. For instance, solar-powered rechargeable devices have become popular in recent years, as there are often no places to charge technology within encampments.
Additionally, many of the people who Sunrise serves have only beginner digital skills, and the organization hopes to offer computer literacy classes in the future.
As Sunrise continues to provide holistic services to meet the many needs of people experiencing homelessness, Houston says, “We share many visions and goals with CTN, and working with their support has been a tremendous help for us.”
Stay tuned for more stories about our digital equity efforts in Texas.
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