Windows of Opportunity
by Christian Piatt

Larry's life experience before coming to Samaritan House did not require much interaction with computers. Having worked for years as a live-in nanny, he favored interaction with people over machines. While he had always intended to learn how to use a computer, life had never provided him with an opportunity to expand his learning base.

"I didn't even know how to turn on a computer," says Larry. "I didn't really know what they could do, and couldn't use one at all."

Recent grants from the Beaumont Foundation and the United Way’s ‘Teaming for Technology’ program gave birth to Samaritan House’s new Computer Learning Center. Excited about the opportunity to learn, Larry was one of the first to sign up for classes. He began with basic typing, and moved on to web navigation, setting up an email account, and use of other application software.

“I’ve been searching for everything,” he explains. “I can pretty much hunt down anything I need to know already.” Included in the classes Larry has taken is a series initiated by several nursing students and professors from Texas Christian University. They help residents track down less expensive medications online, and they have led them to various other health-related websites, such as WebMD and Medscape.com. The lab, equipped with a dozen desktop and laptop computers, a laser printer and a high-speed internet connection, is currently open to residents of Samaritan House, but is slated eventually to be opened up to other members of the HIV/AIDS community.

Larry sees his new computer skills as an important step toward his goal of independence. When he came to Samaritan House, he was facing a life on the street. He had learned about the organization long ago, having been involved with other local groups affiliated with Samaritan House. Although Larry has managed to live successfully with the HIV virus for seventeen years, he had reached a point in his life where he needed more support than he could find elsewhere.

“This was the only place I could go,” he said. “I didn’t want to end up out there, homeless.”

With a renewed sense of independence and self-confidence, Larry has plans for his future. He hopes to find his own apartment through the Genesis project, a transitional housing program for residents who have achieved stable health and independence. He wants to depend on no one but himself, and he believes that having stronger technical skills and access to the information it provides is essential. He now enjoys searching everything from E-Medicine to eBay, and he has recently applied for a grant for his own computer through the Jim Mullen Foundation.

“I sure hope it works out,” he says, smiling. “If I do get (a computer), everybody will know where to find me. I’ll be surfing all the time, on my own.”