Our KNX Heroes of the Week are two brothers from Tustin, who are teaching technology and more to our older generation through their volunteer group, Support for Seniors.
Kavin and Dhilan PatelCourtesy of the Patel family
14-year-old Dhilan Patel and 16-year-old Kavin Patel started helping the Tustin senior community get up to speed with the latest technology in the spring of 2023, navigating websites and phone apps.
Kavin said they first realized the need during the pandemic.
“During COVID, we really saw the difference in technology between us and seniors,” he told Heroes host Heather Jordan. “I think we really saw this through our grandparents. We spent a lot of time with them, and we just saw the difference in knowledge that we had and they had, and we began sharing this knowledge with them.”
Courtesy of the Patel family
Dhilan said they organized a technology learning fair, and from there, things quickly expanded.
“We started off at the Tustin Presbyterian Church, and then we moved to a more group setting at the Tustin Farmers Market,” he said. “And then as a group, we kind of realized that we can impact a lot more seniors. By not only helping them with technology, but [also] helping them with their overall well-being. So we kind of expanded to not only technology but mental and physical well-being. “
Courtesy of the Patel family
That led to the brothers hosting bi-monthly companion walks.
“A lot of seniors in our community don't really get too many interactions, and this is kind of like maybe their first interaction of the day,” Dhilan said.
The brothers are also planning special health fairs and say they might even consider one day turning support for seniors into a nonprofit.
“We kind of reciprocate what they feel, and I would say that us being able to help them in any way, not only with technology, but in their well-being and how they live, it's definitely joyful to be a part of,” Kavin said.
“Honestly, it's just joy,”Dhilan said. “Like all this work that we put in and all this time, we can see it getting paid off by the happiness of other people.”
To learn more about Support for Seniors, click here.
Check out all our KNX Heroes here.
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