Spectrum Empowers Veterans for Success Through Digital Literacy

Seniors in Service staff members receive a Spectrum Digital Education presentation check for $10,000, accompanied by representatives from Spectrum and Hillsborough County.

Joshua Wostal, Hillsborough County Commissioner for District 7; Pam Plager, Operation: Veteran Connect Manager; Greg Duncan, OVC Coordinator; Robin Ingles, CEO of Seniors in Service; Amy Manning, Outreach and Communications Manager at Seniors in Service; David Garcia, Director of State Government Affairs; and Joe Durkin, Director of Communications at Spectrum.

Technology plays a critical role in everyday life, but many veterans facing homelessness, food insecurity, and other challenges lack the digital skills needed to access important resources. Thanks to a $10,000 Digital Education Grant from Spectrum, Seniors in Service is expanding digital literacy support through Operation: Veteran Connect with a new mobile computer lab. Veteran volunteers are helping fellow veterans build confidence using computers, online services, telehealth, banking tools, and more — creating pathways toward greater independence and stability.

Spectrum is bridging the digital divide for veterans in Tampa Bay! Their $10,000 Digital Education Grant will provide a mobile computer lab to help our Operation: Veteran Connect members empower struggling veterans with digital education classes and online services.

For many of the veterans we serve, every day is a struggle to access basic necessities like food and shelter. Learning technology to navigate life in this digital world isn’t a luxury they can afford. Vital services that could significantly improve their quality of life, like health information, VA benefits, job training, and services, require the use of technology. Unfortunately, most veterans we serve lack the digital skills to navigate these resources.

We will help veterans who never learned to use computers build the digital skills needed for online banking, telehealth, email, health information, affordable housing, and locating food pantries.

Operation: Veteran Connect member Kitty Anderson provides digital literacy support for veterans at the VA Resource Center. She shared, “Access to technology strengthens veterans’ sense of purpose and allows them to be more independent. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and fosters a fun learning environment, empowering them to overcome challenges and realize their full potential.”

Operation: Veteran Connect engages volunteers who are also veterans to serve veterans who struggle with disabilities, PTSD, food insecurity, and homelessness. Military service creates a unique bond of camaraderie and veterans feel more comfortable sharing their struggles. Thanks to Spectrum, we now have the computers needed to give veterans a fresh start and self-sufficiency.