What Does Helping Look Like?

^{March, 2018}

Welcome to Cristina Connections

Helping one person might not change the whole world

but it could change the world for one person

Each issue of Cristina Connections will highlight our partners in the Cristina Network. You make it possible for people in need to overcome the barriers of the Digital Divide. In honor of your important work, we dedicate this newsletter to YOU.

Congratulations

Castle Square Tenants Organization!

Congratulations to the Castle Square Tenants Organization (CSTO) in Boston for receiving an award of $35,000 from the city’s Digital Equity Fund. Mayor Martin Walsh described the Digital Equity Fund as “one created to provide support to community based organizations that help Boston residents grow their digital skills while increasing access to information for all.”

What is the Castle Square Tenants Organization? Founded in 1987 as a grassroots tenant’s response to the sale of the Castle Square apartment complex, as a nonprofit organization it provides crucial services to the apartments’ residents. “Bridging the digital divide,” said Deborah Backus, CSTO’s executive director,” is important for all Boston residents, and we are thrilled to partner with the Department of Innovation and Technology because of this grant.”

Information Technology training at CSTO is helping teens learn skills such as understanding PC hardware, learning how to refurbish used equipment, financial literacy, programming codes, resume writing and job readiness skills and more.

”We were finding that it was too expensive for many of the residents to buy a computer or if they did have one, and it broke, they couldn’t afford to fix it.”said Deborah Backus. With this grant more people will be served.

CSTO is a member of the Cristina Foundation's project, Alliance for Technology and Reuse ( AFTRR ). Because repair and reuse is central to their technology support programs, they chose to join this refurbishing community because it would help strengthen this work.

^{Square Tech Computer Repair and Training Center}

Square Roots Afterschool and Summer Program

CSTO Technology Center

For more information visit:

Castle Square Tenants Organization

Square Tech

Square Roots

The organizations that are part of the Cristina Network are very passionate about their work. Their stories are always inspiring. We asked Will Webb (second from left) to tell us why he founded Still Serving Veterans.

“My grandfather, father, uncles, brother, and band of brothers were soldiers... so it's personal when I salute Veterans...and those presently serving to protect our future. I went to West Point, served 28 years in the Army: commanded tank and helicopter cavalry units…worked in Pentagon and the White House.

In 2005, I was a corporate CEO, and my son was deployed on the 1st of what turned into 10 deployments to Afghanistan & Iraq. His best friend and fellow platoon leader, Lieutenant Scotty Smiley, was critically injured by an enemy Improvised Explosive Device. Nobody was sure whether Scotty would walk or talk again.

Scotty Smiley was an inspiration for our decision to found Still Serving Veterans to help Wounded Warriors like Scotty reintegrate into meaningful new careers with all the benefits and services they had earned.

SSV quickly learned that a critical need in its community was for veterans to get help with navigating VA Claims. The need for employment was a common concern as well. An employment program was developed that helped Veterans learn to help themselves by teaching them job search skills, resume writing, best practices and networking.

To date, SSV has helped over 58,000 Veterans bringing back to them over a half a billion dollars in benefits, salaries, and services. SSV endeavors to help any Veteran that has served honorably in our Armed Forces. Along with the counselors serving Veterans locally, SSV has a team of Virtual counselors that work with Veterans anywhere as long as they reach out for help.

Will Webb says about veterans: “We owe Veterans more than our silence, our memories, or our thanks: the highest appreciation is not to utter words…but to live by them…to act on behalf of Vets. We have a moral obligation to help as many Veterans as possible”.

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Thank you Castle Square Tenants Organization for contacting us about your work!

[ 203.863.9100] [[email protected]] [ www.cristina.org]