Westhab Partners with Cisco to Provide Free Wi-Fi at Dayspring Campus in Nodine Hill

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The Dayspring Community Center, situated in the gut-renovated Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church building, will be host to several after-school and adult-learning programs, acting as a hub for community learning and engagement.

YONKERS: Cisco has awarded Westhab a grant of $250,000 of in-kind technology and services to provide free Wi-Fi access at Westhab’s Dayspring Campus.

This is the first step in Westhab’s larger vision to expand free Wi-Fi to the entire Nodine Hill community. Cisco has enacted similar partnerships in the past, notably with the City of Toronto, where they have set up 25 free Wi-Fi hotspots and counting.

Westhab’s Dayspring Campus, set to open in the spring, is made up of a state-of-the-art community center next door to Dayspring Commons, a 63-unit affordable and supportive housing residence, with 37 units set aside for formerly homeless families. All residents will have access to a full range of support services.

The Dayspring Community Center, situated in the gut-renovated Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church building, will be host to several after-school and adult-learning programs, acting as a hub for community learning and engagement.

The Wi-Fi access provided by Cisco’s generous grant will encompass these two buildings, the Dayspring playground and outdoor space, and expand to nearby storefronts and local vendors.

Free Wi-Fi at the Dayspring Campus means that:

  • every resident of Dayspring Commons will have free Wi-Fi, eliminating a pricey utility from their monthly expenses;
  • students and program participants at the community center will be able to access online resources and conduct lessons both inside and outdoors in the Dayspring playground; and
  • storefronts and local vendors in the immediate area will benefit from free Wi-Fi as well, facilitating touchless transactions and contributing to economic empowerment.

Wi-Fi has become a social justice issue in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With school and many jobs taking place online, reliable Wi-Fi is essential for children to access online classes and for many adults to work remotely.

This means that low-income people are at a disadvantage—especially those who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads, let alone pay for Internet. Whether a child needs Wi-Fi to do homework or a community-member needs it to interview for a job via Zoom, the Dayspring Campus will provide a Wi-Fi hub for the entire community.