County Funds Bring Information Age to Village
Digital Kiosks at Center of Remodeling Effort

   SAN DIEGO — St. Vincent de Paul Village, 1501 Imperial Avenue, will unveil its newly remodeled lobby on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m., as San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts presents a $110,000 check to Village President Father Joe Carroll. The county allocation represents two-thirds of the total cost of the improvements.

   The money, says Father Joe, was crucial in bringing two digital, touch-screen kiosks – chock-full of information on programs, services and public assistance – to St. Vincent’s.
"With the addition of the kiosks, our clients are a few finger strokes away from information on meals, public transportation, shelter availability and contacting other area social services agencies," he says.

   The lobby, which was originally designed in 1987 to accommodate a daily traffic count of 300, now sees more than 2,000 enter its doors each day. The increase in the number of families and individuals seeking assistance placed a large burden on staff members working the front desk at the Village.

   "We were having a difficult time simply acknowledging all of the people seeking assistance," says Tony Sterzinger, program manager of St. Vincent’s information exchange services. "Many of the inquiries will now be handled by the kiosks, giving our staff more time to focus on providing solutions to more complex and immediate requests."

   In addition to the kiosks, automatic doors were placed in the lobby entrance, making access to the lobby easier for the growing number of disabled individuals seeking assistance.

   Father Joe says these updates would not have been possible without the assistance of the county.

   "We appreciate the fact [the county], particularly Supervisor Roberts, realizes the first step in offering assistance to the homeless is to provide them with information related to available services and programs," he says. "The funding has improved our efficiency."

   For more information on Wednesday’s unveiling and check presentation, call (619) 525-1608.

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