Teeniors, based in Albuquerque, was five years old before the coronavirus forced operations to change. Lopez asked teens if they were comfortable supporting seniors via video or phone call. The decision to go forward with a remote structure was unanimous, and funding from grants made the transition possible.

“I think all of [the Teeniors] were ambivalent about how this would work, and I was too,” Lopez said. “Is this going to be as good as in-person coaching? No. But are we going to do our best to make it the best experience of virtual coaching possible? Yes.”

Judith Binder has been a Teeniors client before and during COVID-19. She discovered Teeniors at a monthly potluck put on by county commissioners in Albuquerque. Despite having worked in a university computer science department in the 1980s, she found value in the service.

“They didn’t rush me. And I’m sure that’s part of their skill. They waited until I was able to really grasp the concepts that they were showing me,” Binder said.

Pivoting to remote instruction allowed Teeniors to reach older adults beyond Albuquerque and New Mexico. Lopez estimated 100 virtual coaching sessions took place during April and May, and 15% of the calls have come from out-of-state.

“We were able to pivot in a way I was comfortable with, because our kids wanted to work still, and certainly our seniors wanted to stay connected to friends and family, and all of us wanted to decrease social isolation,” Lopez said. She noted that remote sessions will continue to be an option even as it becomes possible to offer in-person services.