Yesterday, the St. Louis County Library delivered about 1,500 GrandPads to the elderly community. The GrandPad is "designed to meet the needs of those over age 75 to access technology and stay connected to loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic."
This was made possible due to federal aid from the CARES Act. About $1 million was used for this initiative. This is all a part of a larger initiative started in the summer of 2020 to help young people have the tools they need for virtual education as well as to bridge the digital gap. The city of St. Louis designated $4 million dollars of the CARES Act funds for their Digital Equity Initiative.
County Executive Sam Page said, "Today, the St. Louis County Library distributed 1,500 GrandPad tablets to our older adults who are not familiar with or do not have access to technology. St. Louis County provided $1 million in CARES Act funds to purchase the tablets, part of our Digital Equity Initiative."