One Tuesday in late September Rick Blacksten sat in a chair and pointed to the computer screen where he was creating a new Microsoft Word file and a folder to save it to.
Juan Sejas and Abraham Gonzalez watched over his shoulder as he tried to explain the steps in his most basic English. It worked, but was slow going, as the two students were not exactly sure when they were to watch and listen, and when they were to try it themselves.
A member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Mr. Blacksten has started helping people with computing skills at the Buckingham Community Outreach Center on N. 4th Street. The center has about a dozen computers for residents to use, and even maintains a Spanish-language blog.
Computer training is one of the many connections the church has made with the county-run center and the center's clients.
"My vision is...that I'll have a packet of materials,...modules of computer literacy," Mr. Blacksten said that evening, admitting that the modules will take some time to develop. "This is really a work in progress.”
The September meeting was only the sixth or seventh weekly meeting that Mr. Blacksten had worked. He has been leading the way in this endeavor. His partner that night was Roger Soles, one of a few UUCA members who speak some Spanish and drop in to help. Together they worked with three clients, including Juan Salas, who was setting up email. According to Connie Freeman, the director of the center, the classes are popular and well attended.
“Sometimes I work at the job at night, but when I no work, I come here,” Mr. Sejas said.
The church, at 4444 Arlington Blvd., (their driveway is on S. George Mason Drive), has a dedication to the neediest in the Buckingham community. Nancy Hall is the co-chair of the church’s Buckingham outreach committee which cooperates and supports the people of Buckingham, she said.
“They particularly want to use computers to find jobs” on craig’s list and other places, Ms. Hall said in a recent interview, adding later, “Not a whole lot of them have computers.”
And their skills range from novice to sophisticated. Part of the training includes just learning what skills the person has and what skills he or she wants or needs, both Mr. Blacksten and Ms. Hall said.
The church also provides English as a Second Language classes and works with Nisgua, a human rights organization that connects the United States and Guatemala. As well, the church has created a job bank for residents looking to work and people at church who need yard work, painting or similar help.
Ms. Hall said that relationship is reciprocal—the residents also help the church for free if the church needs landscaping.
The work the church has done with the residents has "been very rewarding for us,” Ms. Hall said.
