FARMER CITY -- Grants from various sources, and hard work from volunteers, have made the Outreach Ministries Computer Center a reality. The five-station lab, located at Outreach's location in the Sunshine Center in Farmer City, opened earlier this month, and will welcome the public to an open house from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday.

"We thought there was a community need," commented Marilyn Hirschman, one of the organization's board of directors. "Particularly we had some senior citizens who had never touched a computer, but have kids that live across the country. We thought with some computer knowledge, they could learn how to e-mail and keep in touch."

In the works for almost a year, a $2,000 grant from the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation of Bloomington allowed the lab to be "bigger and better," said Hirschman.

The grant enabled Outreach to purchase three new Mac mini computers, one of which can run both Mac OSX and Windows operating systems. There are a total of five computers in addition to a laser printer. Wi-fi capability is also in the works.

Also donating to the cause was the local Clark Foundation. A portion of its $3,400 grant issued last year was used to renovate the room where the computer center now resides. Exelon also donated some of the furniture.

Besides being a teaching ground for seniors, the computer center is aimed at helping younger people increase their knowledge, according to Outreach volunteer Lynn Amacher, who set up the lab.

"This is more for people to use for homework, and writing up resumes," said Amacher. "It's more about productivity and less about gaming and Facebook."

Hirschman agreed, saying the current lab hours of 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday were deliberately chosen because the local library and its computers are not available at those times.

Hours will increase as long as volunteers can be found to man the lab.

"It would be our goal to be open three hours every day," added Hirschman.