The festive event provided breakfast, lunch, holiday-themed activities, hot cocoa bar, music, information booths, and artisan crafts made by members of Boston’s older adult community.

In addition to providing a phone bank allowing free domestic and international calls, AT&T and the Boston Police Department presented a Digital Safety workshop about scam/fraud prevention, cyber-safety and general technology training. AT&T technicians also worked one-on-one with guests to help with their phones, tablets and other connected technology and troubleshooting.

“We are grateful for partnerships like this one that create an opportunity for our officers to connect with Boston’s older adults about ways to protect themselves from scammers and other dangers,” said Commissioner Michael Cox, Boston Police Department. “Community policing is about building trust and connecting with people and we are happy to be part of this great event.”

Since the start of 2024, AT&T and the Boston Police Department have collaborated on a citywide effort to educate older adults about digital safety and scam/fraud prevention, hosting 25 workshops in nearly every city neighborhood.

The Boston Fire Department also gave a safety presentation to attendees.

This year, AT&T worked with RCN Technologies to provide the connectivity infrastructure for the Holiday Connections domestic and international phone bank.

“RCN walks tallest when we’re serving government agencies around the country,” said Reed Perryman, Vice President, RCN Technologies. “When AT&T told us about the cause and asked if we could provide the call bank for the City’s event this year, I didn’t even have to think about saying yes. We’re so proud to know our service enabled Boston’s residents to communicate with their loved ones this Holiday season.”

POTS Link bridged the gap between legacy analog telephone systems and AT&T’s digital network infrastructure, providing seamless integration and dependable call quality throughout the day-long event. For many older adults, the simplicity of picking up a handset and hearing a loved one’s voice—whether across town or across the globe—was made possible by this reliable connectivity solution.

Technology allows older adults freedom, convenience, and communication, and it is important that they have the resources to enjoy the digital world safely and securely. We are grateful to Mayor Wu, Commissioner Shea and AgeStrong, Boston Police and Boston Fire for their collaboration and commitment to keeping Boston’s older adults safely connected.

We hope this fun, annual event provided the warmth of connection with loved ones, the confidence to harness the power of technology, and a lot of holiday joy.

Read the original story from AT&T here.