Salvation Army Dee Why - Pacific Lodge Residential Aged Care Facility

The club first began at Elizabeth Jenkins Place Collaroy when 5 residents mentioned an interest in using computers at the weekly Current Affairs Group. The womens' ages then ranged from 72-89 years. Lessons commenced in January 2004 under the tuition of the Recreational Activities Officer using one old, slow computer donated by a family. In July 2004, 6 second-hand computers with the latest operating technology were donated by a local business, following a story in The Manly Daily about the group.

The RAO became the volunteer computer administrator and tutor and helped three students produce books about their life and travel stories, as well as 2 books with stories about other residents at the Hostel, which appear on ASCCA’s Life Stories website link. The group closed ASCCA’s 6th annual seminar in Ryde, in September 2004.

We joined ASCCA in March 2005. Broadband was installed in June 2005 and group members surfed the Net and are kepted in touch with family and friends using email. 4 new students began lessons in August 2005 under the tuition of 2 volunteers from a neighbouring club, Computer Pals for Seniors Northern Beaches at Narrabeen.

With the closure of Elizabeth Jenkins Place at Collaroy in June 2007, 4 computers were moved to Pacific Lodge at Dee Why. 2 women from the origianl EJP computer group and the computer administrator/tutor all re-located to Pacific Lodge and the women continue to have daily access to their computers. A new computer club has commenced on Friday afternoons at Pacific Lodge with 4 new students embracing their introduction to computers under the tuition of the Recreational Activities Officer.