- All right, everybody.
I'm back with actress, Eve Houston.
Give it up. (cheering)
Well, the pandemic has been hard on everyone
but especially our seniors.
Not only are they the most vulnerable
they're also more likely to struggle with the technology
that connects us and this kid.
That's why I love this next story.
A teen in Florida has made it his mission
to help seniors navigate the world of Zoom and Skype.
And if that wasn't enough he's even
helping them sign up for the COVID vaccine
which makes him today's "RAD HUMMAN".
(upbeat music) (crowd cheering)
Please welcome, 17 year old Sam everybody.
(cheering)
You get the theme too.
Well, Sam first of all, meet Eve.
(light cheering)
- Hi? - Hello Sam?
- Nice to meet you.
- I love first of all Eve, every time Eve talks
like every now and then I'll hear...
I'll really hear that Irish come out.
Like it'll be like American sounding and then super Irish.
It's awesome.
(chuckling)
I love it, I love it.
Well, Sam, I should mention you do all of this for free.
So how did this start?
- Yeah, well look, personally, I've always loved technology
and I have become kind of the go-to tech guy in my family.
Whenever somebody in my family got a new phone
or a new computer, a new laptop
all I hear for days is calls "Sam, Sam help me set this up,
help me get it going. I don't know my password.
I don't know how to plug it in.
I don't know how to work it."
And I was always kind of the tech guy
to help them out with that.
And I realized that there were a lot of people
particularly in my community who don't have
somebody like that who can help out.
You know, I'm over here in South Florida
and there's really three things Florida is known for.
Crazy people, alligators and senior citizens.
So the whole idea behind this organization
was to bring those people for those seniors
to help them with their technology needs.
So we started this back in the summer of 2019
since then we've been growing and expanding.
We used to work directly in person.
We go to places like assisted living facilities
and do one-on-one support.
I go in there to a room and there'd be like a dozen seniors
sitting there holding their phones and their laptops
just eager to talk to me or one of the other volunteers.
And it was really inspirational to see their faces
light up when they learn something new.
And I think it's really powerful
to teach them how to use that technology.
- Yeah, being a teacher is such an inspiring
position to be in, it's very cool.
Your skills though, went from a luxury to a necessity
at the beginning of the pandemic, correct?
- That's right absolutely.
I mean, this new modern age of technology,
it was becoming an increasingly prevalent way
of staying connected and accessing information
and communicating with friends and family.
But all of a sudden it became the only way to stay connected
and to communicate and talk to friends and family
and get information.
And a lot of this technology really
is not made with senior citizens in mind.
And they're often the ones who become
the most isolated and can feel the most lonely
especially during this pandemic.
So, absolutely, I mean the need
for this just completely skyrocketed.
Our phones started ringing off the charts
and we did everything we could.
We moved in-person support to over the phone support.
We do Zoom video support and step-by-step YouTube videos
to try to walk people through everything they need.
Plus we've been recruiting new volunteers
and every week we have a slightly bigger crowd of people
calling back these seniors to do free one-on-one support.
- Well, I'm here to tell you, Sam, it's not just seniors.
(laughing)
Okay.
I am horrible with technology.
I'm the worst.
Luckily, my assistant is amazing at it,
but Eve do you know anybody in your family
that could use this?
- Yes me, I need the help. (laughing)
Every time I touch something it breaks.
Sam I need your contact information.
- Yeah, I like it.
- Certainly we'll send it after the show, be in touch.
- All right.
Well Sam, this is so important
because I loved this part too.
You're also helping seniors sign up for the vaccine, right?
- That's right. Absolutely.
I mean, we all know... we've seen what's happened
with this pandemic and how detrimental it's been.
And really nobody is more vulnerable
than the senior citizens.
And it got all these processes.
We're trying to sign people up using
online systems and forms and phone numbers
and all this sort of complicated stuff.
And it's really not made with senior citizens in mind.
So we decided to do something about that.
We put together a website that consolidates information
from all across the internet about pretty much
every County in Florida about, you know
government led places and pharmacies and stores
and how and where people can sign up for COVID-19 vaccines.
We did step-by-step videos that could
walk them through exactly what to do.
They had this crazy email system
with a random address and all this information.
We did a step-by-step with a one-click button
to make it as simple as possible.
And most recently we've been recruiting
all of our volunteers to help sign up people
who don't have computers at all,
to get onto this vaccine system.
Because in my County they're doing online only appointment.
So if you don't have a computer
which many senior citizens don't
they have no chance of getting on.
- You are such a cool human.
I love you so much.
I have to ask what are all those medals and trophies for?
What's that top shelf there, brother?
- Yeah. These are various things.
I have stuff from like the reading clubs
back in elementary school,
- [Host] That's so cool - And chess club.
And that sort of thing.
- You're just an overachiever is what I'm saying.
(laughing)
- Yeah, I don't know of any helping seniors trophies yet.
Maybe if one becomes available
I'll put it up on the shelf as well.
- Do you know what?
I love a challenge.
We will now make you a trophy, this is happening now.
Two of those seniors are dialing in right now.
Thanks to what they've learned from Sam.
Let's welcome, Jerry and his wife Joan everybody,
give it up. (cheering)
- Hi.
- Hi, hello.
Well, thank you for joining us
and Jerry, I'm going to start with you.
I have one question, were you a computer guy
before all of this.
- Hardly portion... a very small portion of my brain
was tuned into computers.
And since I've met Sam, I must tell you now
I gotten better at it, but I've been much more
enthusiastic about learning more.
But thanks to Sam, he was very instrumental
in the recent events in my life.
I lost an older brother.
And I was going to attend a Zoom session
and I didn't know how to get there.
And Sam helped me a lot by getting on Zoom,
knowing how to use Zoom in fact.
I'm proud of it right now. as I try,
ensure I can keep my own Zoom together.
And it's all because of a young man named Sam
who was really an unusual and wonderful young man.
And represents a portion of our kids out there.
Okay.
Who are devoting themselves to working in their communities
as the same as doing, he's setting a great example.
And I'm so proud of him.
- Yeah, I know.
I can hear it in your voice.
It's a very beautiful thing.
He's got a beautiful soul and heart.
Joan, what do you want people to know about Sam?
- Oh, how terrific he is.
He's mature beyond his years.
He's kind, he's very smart and very helpful and patient.
And when I tell our friends that he's, it's free,
they can't believe it, " What do you mean free?
Is there a catch," but there's not.
His heart, that's the catch.
And I just wanna let you know that Jerry and I
have six granddaughters, we don't have any grandsons.
So I asked Sam if we could adopt him.
- Ah, you need a boy in there.
That's a lot of estrogen y'all.
(laughing)
You know what?
Eve I was saying earlier it...
I was like, "This is all just so kind."
I'm like, it's just a kind thing to do.
And like Joan was saying, he's not getting paid for it.
What do you think of something like this?
I love... I feel like we always hear the negative stories.
It's so beautiful though this one.
- Sam you're making me feel like a bad person
but I support you in everything that you're doing.
I think it's incredible, it's so beautiful.
- It is and I do think that's what...
I always say this on the show,
but it's my favorite part of the show
to be able to like shine a light on just
really cool people doing sweet kind things
for no reason at all, just to be that.
I think, you know, on the news unfortunately,
we hear the negative side of humanity a little too much,
I think and so, I just...
I love this story and Sam, you actually,
you taught Jerry and Joan something just for the show.
What did you teach them?
- Yeah, that's right.
I think they're gonna show you right now.
They're gonna go ahead and set it up on the phone,
let's see.
(cheering)
There it is. - [Host] What?
(clapping) (laughing)
Oh my gosh, Jerry, I don't know how to do that.
You just changed the background, right?
I'd seriously don't know how to do that.
- Well you know what?
That's from being attentive and thank God
I am attentive at and I'm a decent learner,
but without Sam, I have no teacher.
And I love the fact that we met him
and he's part of our lives.
- Look Jerry we're in California,
without being in California. (laughing)
- That's it.
Eve, do you know how to do that?
I honestly don't know how to do that.
- I have no idea how to do that.
That's the most... I could not figure that out.
I barely know how to click on the Zoom.
- I know, I need to take some kind of tech class.
I don't either, I'd like you better
send me a link if it gets me right there.
Well, you're not the only one with surprises.
Sam's a "Supper Rad Human".
So we reached out to View Clix.
Their smart frames, enable families to easily
stay in touch with seniors through video calling,
picture sharing and sticky note reminders
and Sam they love what you're doing
to help seniors with technology.
So they're going to donate $5,000 to your foundation.
How's that sound?
- Wow. That is fantastic, really.
We're so appreciative of that, that's amazing.