Central Union Mission Offers Free, Six Week Computer Literacy Course to Community (Sonja Graham)

Central Union Mission continues to empower the community they serve by offering a six-session, basic computer literacy course, where participants are introduced to the fundamental concepts and operations necessary to use computers. Topics include computer terminology, typing, web navigation, and managing emails.

Sonja Graham, 71, learned of the course when visiting the food pantry at the Comprehensive Family Resource Center. “I was getting food one day, and one of the ladies shared the information with me about the course. I retired years ago, after working as an Admin Assistant for forty-five years at the University of Maryland. I definitely needed a refresher.” Brushing up on her computer skills wasn’t the only motivation behind taking the course, “My daughter passed in April and I needed something to keep me busy…a reason to leave the house.”

Instructor Dana Thompson has a heart to serve and uses this class as an opportunity to help those in need. “I want to help anyone whose desire is to fluently use computer technology. Taking this course allows participants to be more in tune with today’s society which is heavily geared towards and around technology.”

The course not only gave Graham an outlet as she mourns the loss of her daughter, but it also gave her the confidence she needed to rejoin the workforce. “I’m looking for part-time work as a receptionist, but before this class, I was honestly afraid to do things with the computer on my own. I would always call my granddaughter to help me, but now, I can do it myself,” she said proudly. “I learned how to send and forward emails, and how to attach documents to a message. I highly recommend this class for anyone who needs to learn the basics before getting back out there.”

In addition to the computer literacy course, Central Union Mission offers additional courses that include legal aid, ESOL classes, Bible studies, and life-skills classes. For more information on future courses given at the Family Ministry Center, please visit MissionDC.org.