Pleasanton Teen Reups Device Donation Drive For Elderly

PLEASANTON, CA — An Amador Valley High School student is continuing her efforts to keep older adults connected to loved ones and health care providers by collecting devices with cameras.

Tanya Bakshi, a rising senior, has again teamed up with nonprofit TeleHeath Access for Seniors to collect gently used devices with cameras to ensure seniors make it to virtual doctor appointments and stay in touch with their family members. Bakshi was first moved to get involved last year after teaching her grandmother, who was feeling bored while quarantining during the pandemic, to use an iPad.

A quarter of adults ages 65 and older are socially isolated, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

“Your old devices may have lost their connections, but someone else can use them to make new ones," the nonprofit said last year on its website.

Tanya thanked last year's donors, who helped the nonprofit raise more than $210,000 and equip older adults with 3,500 devices. To donate a device, contact Tanya at tanyasribakshi@gmail.com.

The nonprofit is also in the midst of a Krispy Kreme fundraiser:

To learn more or volunteer, visit telehealthforseniors.org.