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Volunteers in front of a Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County van

Helping Individuals and Families Get Connected with Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

4 months ago

By Greg Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County is excited to announce two investments by Comcast to help close the digital divide and help vulnerable community members connect to each other and resources in times of crises. Comcast, a member and supporter of San Jose’s Digital Inclusion Partnership, supported Catholic Charities’ new digital inclusion and education programs. Also, Comcast has helped the deployment of a new mobile response van, sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Jose, to increase the agency’s outreach and capacity to serve the community quickly during a disaster.

The digital inclusion programs, offered through Catholic Charities’ three Family Resource Centers and the Franklin-McKinley Children’s Initiative Community Center, educate clients on how to use the internet, how to connect through various devices and the importance of connectivity. “Making it clear why digital connectivity is a necessity, rather than a luxury, is the key to success,” explains Elizabeth Alvarez, Managing Director, Children’s Initiative for Catholic Charities. Clients learn how to go online to apply for new home leases, access community benefits, find resources, navigate their citizenship processes, and even connect with their children’s teachers and schools, demonstrating the importance of connectivity in today’s world. Funding was received through San Jose’s Digital Inclusion Partnership, of which Comcast is a key funder.

Comcast also sponsored the WiFi hotspot on Catholic Charities’ new mobile emergency command center. “By providing WiFi for mobile emergency internet access, those impacted can gather vital information, check on loved ones, report their status and connect to resources,” explained Araceli Gonzales, Program Director, Disaster Services for Catholic Charities. The new van, which provides the ability for teams to set-up at practically any outdoor public location, expands Catholic Charities reach for critical services to individuals and families, including during non-emergency times.

“When your office is a parking lot, you need a dedicated vehicle with a reliable internet connection for many users to bring people in need to the site for services,” Gonzales said. “We have a lot of ground to cover in Santa Clara County – from Mountain View down to Gilroy. This van is going to mean so much to so many people who see the Catholic Charities name when they are in crisis and know they can trust us.”

For information on Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County’s programs seeking to address emergencies and alleviate poverty, please contact David Russo, drusso@catholiccharitiesscc.org or (408) 325 -5248.

About Greg Kepferle

Gregory Kepferle is the Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, which he has proudly served since 2005. Greg is a founding member of the Franklin-McKinley Children’s Initiative. He currently serves on the Governance Committee and Board of Educare California at Silicon Valley and President of Charities Housing.

About Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County (“CCSCC”) serves and advocates for families and individuals in need, especially those living in poverty, and works to create a more just and compassionate community in which people of all cultures and beliefs can participate. Since 1955, CCSCC has worked to strengthen families and build economic self-sufficiency for the poor and vulnerable in the County. Prior to the pandemic, each year we served 40,000 individuals through more than 30 direct service programs, including job placement, meals and food distribution, senior services, mental health, financial education, immigration legal services, refugee foster care, supportive housing, after-school expanded learning, and youth and family services. Since the pandemic, that number has increased tenfold to nearly 500,000 served.

Filed Under: Community Investment, In Your Area

Public Safety Power Shutoff

An Xfinity technician examines a forest

Preparing for PSPS Events

Many of us are looking forward to a return to some form of normalcy as we work to rebuild and recover from the public health crisis. Californians are clever, resilient and optimistic people and we will find joy in every season no matter what happens.

While this year will probably feel very different, one thing that will, unfortunately, remain consistent is the threat of wildfires. June 1 was the official start of fire season and at Comcast we are working tirelessly to ensure we continue to serve our customers.

Concurrent with fire season, in many parts of California, we anticipate planned power outages – called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) – during this time, which runs from June through November. When gusty winds and dry conditions are forecasted, combined with a heightened fire risk, electricity providers pre-emptively turn off the power to protect the public.

Comcast’s Internet, TV and landline telephone services for homes and businesses require commercial power to operate. During a PSPS event, these Comcast services may stop functioning within hours after the commercial power is shut off. Mobile phone service may also be affected by a PSPS event.

Comcast understands this disruption to services is frustrating and has a major impact on people’s lives and businesses. The safety of our communities and employees is our utmost priority and Comcast takes care during PSPS events to ensure public safety.

Comcast also takes care during PSPS events to ensure we’re keeping our customers informed. We’ve sent a letter and an email to our customers with important information about how to keep informed during wildfire season.

You may also see public service announcements on your local news channel reminding you how these power outages may affect your services.

Here are a few things you can do now to be prepared:

  • Confirm your contact information at xfinity.com/myaccount—We will use this information to contact you if we expect a service disruption caused by a planned power outage. You can also use My Account to check if your service has been restored.
  • Comcast Business customers can check their My Account app or the Comcast Business Status Center to get information and valuable updates.
  • Download your favorite shows and movies for offline viewing—With the Xfinity Stream app, you can watch shows and movies offline in case you lose power.
  • Download the Xfinity Connect App to receive Xfinity Voice calls via your mobile phone—Xfinity Voice customers can make and receive calls with their Xfinity phone number using their mobile phone.
  • Visit the Comcast California Blog where we will post information, updates and answers to commonly asked questions. On the blog, we’ve launched a special PSPS web page where you can get additional information.
  • Follow us on Twitter — our handle is @ComcastCA and we regularly post valuable updates.

Even if power is off, Comcast’s team never stops working for you. From our family to yours, we hope you remain safe.

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