Ben and Emily Koleske named 2014 Rosalind Strom/Marion Washburn Make a Difference Youth Volunteers

On November 7, 2014 Hopkins seniors Ben and Emily Koleske were honored for their dedication and service to the Elim Park Retirement Community with the 2014 Rosalind Strom/Marion Washburn Make a Difference Youth Volunteer Award.

In 2011, Emily and Ben founded the Connecting Seniors program, which provides one-on-one computer and technology support free of charge to the Elim Park residents in their own homes, as well as group tutoring in the facility’s computer lab. For each of the past three summers, Emily and Ben ensured that the residents remained connected to their loved ones and have the skills and comfort to utilize the Internet.

Inspiration for the Koleskes’ Connecting Seniors program came from interactions with their own grandparents, who had relocated across the country to a senior community in Arizona. The twins enjoyed answering their grandparents’ questions about setting up a computer network, fixing hardware and software problems, and explaining nuances of social networking.

Over the last four years, Ben and Emily have helped hundreds of seniors at Elim Park with a myriad of technology issues, including connecting hardware and downloading software, teaching residents the basics of laptops and iPads, how to set up spreadsheets for personal finances, explaining Internet security and online purchasing, provided help with printing and transmitting digital photos, establishing email and social media accounts, and solving a variety of computer and printer problems.

The experience seems to have been mutually beneficial, as residents have become more connected in our digital age, and Emily and Ben have experienced the joys of helping those in their community.

Congratulations to Emily and Ben on your successful Connecting Seniors program and this special recognition from the Elim Park Community.