Fundraisers set to save Mediator church

The fundraising committee for the Episcopal Church of the Mediator has scheduled some events to help the church raise the necessary funds to keep on operating.

Darlene Pender, in a Facebook conversation, told The Riverdale Press the committee is trying to raise anywhere from $1 million to $2 million to help the church pay down the $661,501 in arrears it owes the Episcopalian Diocese of New York.

A vote was scheduled last week by the vestry of the church on whether it would sign a promissory note from the diocese to pay for operations and fixing up the church property.

Friends of the congregation have scheduled events, such as a raffle at last Saturday’s flea market, a penny social set for either November or December, Pender said.

The Bronx Burger House plans on hosting bingo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 12.

Entry for the event is $5, and another $3 per bingo card.

All proceeds will go toward the Church of the Mediator.

Bridging senior digital divide

LinkNYC hosted a free senior citizen digital literacy workshop Oct. 18 at its Bronx Gigabit Center in partnership with Montefiore Hospital, Verizon, and the Andrew Freedman Home.

Opened this summer, the LinkNYC Bronx Gigabit Center provides public access to the high-speed LinkNYC Wi-Fi network, digital literacy training, free access to laptops and workstations, and other services to further help bridge the digital divide.

To date, the organization has opened such centers in The Bronx and Manhattan, with centers planned for Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island in the coming months.

The workshop attracted more than 20 seniors from The Bronx, who learned how to safely access digital medical records, contact their doctors online, and set up and attend tele-health appointments.

“In the Bronx and across the five boroughs, too many New Yorkers still find it too hard or expensive to get online, which is simply unacceptable in 2022,” said Nick Colvin, chief executive of LinkNYC.

“Seniors are often overlooked when it comes to providing equitable internet access, especially in communities like the South Bronx.

“That’s why we are so proud to partner with the Andrew Freedman Home, Montefiore Hospital, and Verizon to ensure that seniors in The Bronx are equipped with the internet access and tele-health skills they need.”

Montefiore Hospital promotes digital literacy throughout its patient and provider population, according to Arz Raheem, the senior director of the digital transformation office at Montefiore Hospital.

“One of our main patient engagement platforms is MyChart, which is a secure web portal and mobile phone app and helps our patient population seamlessly access their medical information and health records. Montefiore is honored to be partnering with LinkNYC and Verizon in offering this valuable workshop and assist seniors in developing greater digital literacy.”

Today, two-in-five New York City households lack either a home broadband connection or mobile broadband through cell service.

This includes 38 percent of Bronx residents, who lack home broadband internet access — the highest rate in the five boroughs.

Since its launch in 2016, LinkNYC has helped bridge this digital divide in the Bronx and across the city by deploying thousands of first-generation LinkNYC kiosks — providing more than 11 million New Yorkers and visitors with free high-speed WiFi and more than 25 million free phone calls.