Traverse City has been chosen as one of three Michigan cities to participate in an innovative program designed to help senior citizens – or anyone else -- get comfortable with technology and connect to their community. Commun02 (Community Oxygen) is a specially designed app that safely and securely connects older adults and family caregivers to 25 diverse TC organizations to meet a variety of needs and help reduce social isolation.
 
An hour-long informational session on the app is set for 2:30pm on July 26 at the Traverse City District Library. “Commun02 will allow organizations to live stream such things as church services, weddings, funerals and special events to persons who are homebound or isolated,” says Dona Wishart, executive director of the Otsego County Commission on Aging.
 
The platform, which is free to users, can also connect healthcare practitioners to homebound patients, long-distance caregivers to family members, social service organizations and businesses to their clients and clergy to their members. Funded through a $360,000 Michigan Health Endowment Fund grant, the two-year program was piloted throughout Otsego County and now is being expanded to serve residents in TC and Flint.