LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Being on the lookout for scams has essentially become a part of everyday life.
Phone calls, texts, emails, the attempts to steal personal information come in so many forms, and the main targets of these ruses tend to be the older population.
That’s why Dedrick and Darnell Dart decided to extend a helping hand.
“We did a lot of services with the seniors, and we realized there was a gap in information,” Dedrick Dart said. “A lot of people were asking us while we were doing other things, like we were doing installs and things like that, and sometimes a senior would just ask me, ‘Hey, you got 5 minutes? You think you can show me how to use this on my phone?’ Or, ‘How does this app work?’ The more questions that we got like that, the more we decided to just kind of develop a program.”
That program is called Friends of Ours Cooperative, focused on helping seniors navigate their phones and other devices.
The Dart brothers have created monthly classes, walking participants through different lessons from navigating their home screens and editing on their phones to proper password protection and online safety.
VeRey Smith has gone to the classes for months, and she told FOX5 it’s night and day from what she understands now because of Friends of Ours.
“I’ve learned how to set notifications for my Bank of America and my Chase, so any time my card is used online or on hand, my phone lets me know that I get alert on my texts,” Smith said.
“I find [the classes] very helpful. I would endorse it, especially for seniors, anyone who’s not good on tech. They just know how to use your phones and your computer. The people are very hands-on. You can stay after and get one-on-one, and I’ve learned a lot.”
Debbie Jackson came across the classes accidentally but is thankful to have found what she considers a supportive environment to help people become more tech savvy.
“The guys did a great job with disseminating the information and getting the feedback and answering questions appropriately, where people really understood it appeared,” Jackson said.
“It’s extremely important because there are seniors in those classes who’ve been working since 15 years old and they don’t know the stuff. They finally have a chance to retire and travel and so forth. They may go to a foreign country, they may go anywhere, and they don’t know this.”
Dedrick Dart is thankful for how this program has grown over a short period of time. From the partnership with multiple libraries (Windmill, Sahara West, Sunrise and Summerlin) to the positive reception from people who have attended their workshops.
He’s hopeful this will lead to a community being built where those taking part in the classes will help each other avoid scams alongside the instructors.
“They can come out to talk to us, talk to each other, share ideas, and share things that have been going on in the community, where if someone got scammed, they can come and share that with everyone, so that way it’s less likely to happen,” Dart said.
“We not only use this as an opportunity to teach, but as an opportunity to network and let them share their information amongst each other as well.”
If you want to learn more about Friends of Ours Cooperative and see when their next classes/workshops are, click here.
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