Member News- May 20, 2020
- Comfort Keepers Offers Donations to Non-profits for Marketing Help
Non-profit organizations in Columbia County have the opportunity to earn a $1,500 donation from Comfort Keepers Home Care. The company works with groups to place at least 100 yard signs throughout the area for a period of three months. Check local ordinances before placing signs. Interested organizations should contact Kim Noel at kim.comfortkeepers@gmail.com.
- Free Outdoor Community Internet at Bloomsburg Public Library
The outdoor area around the Bloomsburg Public Library is now a Community Hotspot that provides 24/7 access to the Internet. In partnership with Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), the Library will open its free WiFi service beyond the building. The Library invites the public use the Internet from the Library Lot or benches along Pine Street.
Free WiFi attracts thousands of users to the Library each year and hundreds of users borrow mobile hotspots from the Library. However, the coronavirus crisis put a stop to these popular services since the Library was required to close in mid-March 2020. With a new outdoor access point donated by ITDRC, the Library will be able to extend its free WiFi network beyond the interior of the building to the outdoor area. Signs on the lawn provide the name of the network – Homework Hub. There is no password.
“Closing the digital divide and providing 24/7 free public Wi-Fi in downtown Bloomsburg is essential during the transition from stay-at-home restrictions to the time when the library can again welcome visitors inside the building,” said Library Director, Lydia Kegler. Access to the Library’s free WiFi network will remain open even after the community returns to normal activities under the Green Phase. “We are excited to provide ongoing support for our community and their need for free, safe access to the Internet in the evening and on weekends. Despite the fact that many students and individuals in our area have Internet-enabled devices, many cannot afford the monthly Internet access fees,” added Kegler.The Town of Bloomsburg made available several benches for people to stop at the library and enjoy the mini-park setting outside the library. During the Yellow Phase of the coronavirus crisis, the Library Director, Lydia Kegler, urges all visitors to maintain social distancing, whether they enjoy a bench or stay in their car.