The Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (KHCC), which serves more than 6,000 Bronx residents at its 3101 Kingsbridge Terrace location, has been awarded a $50,000 tech grant to fund a computer lab, complete with laptops, desktops and printers in its upcoming Family Enrichment Center.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced March 25 that the Office of Faith and Nonprofit Development Services will award $2.1 million in grants of up to $50,000 to 43 different organizations across the state to create Community Resource Rooms aimed at enhancing accessibility to technology.
“Technology is rapidly advancing, and we need to make sure that everyone has a fair chance at taking advantage of its resources,” Hochul said in a statement. “From doctors appointments to opportunities in education and professional development, we are making these resources easily accessible for all New Yorkers.”
Kiani Oro, director of the upcoming KHCC Family Enrichment Center (FEC), told the Bronx Times that the Community Resource Room will be located inside the FEC in Kingsbridge/Bedford Park, which she hopes will have its grand opening in a few months. Oro said the FEC is supposed to feel like a “home away from home.”
“ It’s an open access space that community can come to engage in meaningful activities that address our different protective factors such as parental resilience, social connections and things of that nature,” Oro said.
The computer lab inside the FEC’s Community Resource Room will not only allow Bronx residents to access technology free of charge, but also host digital literacy workshops for those looking for help building computer skills or navigating complicated online processes. As for what specific workshops the FEC plans on offering; Oro said it depends on what Bronx residents want the most.
“ Our model is truly community driven, so we want to hear from the community,” Oro said. “Once we’re very close to launching, we will start surveying the community in terms of what those workshops could look like.”
Oro said possible workshops could include resume building, navigating the housing connect portal, applying for SNAP benefits, using Google suite or other topics that community members request.
Oro said the FEC is hosting community feedback meetings for people in the Bronx who want to help shape the future of the upcoming FEC location.
The next meeting is on April 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 3067 Kingsbridge Terrace and those attending must RSVP. Oro also invited Bronx residents interested in future feedback meetings or events can follow updates on the FEC’s instagram @fec.kingsbridge.bedfordpark or sign up for their monthly newsletter.
