Published March 31. 2026 11:57AM<\/p>\n
Internet and broadband service provider Astound announced a number of grants to area agencies March 4. This comes in addition to Astound\u2019s $81 million network improvements that are underway.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to help businesses and residents get on the Internet and are helping to accelerate that,\u201d said Astound Vice President of sales Clyde Lee III.<\/p>\n
On hand to receive their $50,000 each were representatives of the Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton Boys and Girls Clubs and the Allentown Public Library, Bethlehem Area Public Library and Memorial Library of Nazareth.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a consumer-centric initiative and a partnership,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n
BAPL Executive Director Josh Berk said, \u201cit\u2019s not everyday that people remember the great things that go on at libraries. What Astound is doing is astounding.\u201d The BAPL will make improvements at both the Southside and Main Branch in the children\u2019s computer lab, ESL class computer lab, and add fun components like 3D printers.<\/p>\n
Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem chief executive officer Winston Alozie noted that the 95-year-old organization is already a customer of Astound and has been using outdated technology components from 2010. The funding will be used to upgrade the club\u2019s learning and gaming centers, make additional technology improvements, and dress up the areas with fresh paint and new flooring.<\/p>\n
Allentown Library director Renee Haines and Memorial Library of Nazareth executive director Holly Bennett are looking to make similar improvements, such as \u201cimproving information resources and other tools for the community\u201d in Allentown and \u201cfaster computers, more reliable WI-FI and printing technology\u201d in the Nazareth area.<\/p>\n
Allentown Boys & Girls Club Chief Executive Officer Katarah Jordan says their 1,200 members will benefit with \u201cimproved wireless access and enhancements to the teen lab.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dean Young, chief executive officer at the Easton Boys & Girls Club, says the funding will be used on \u201c3D printing, virtual reality tools and a new floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Astound\u2019s Lee summarized his company\u2019s involvement and commitment saying, \u201cthis is near and dear to my heart. We want to be involved throughout your journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a partnership,\u201d says Astounds vice president of sales Clyde Lee III.<\/p>\n
BAPL executive director Josh Berk accepts a ceremonial check from Astound vice president of sales Clyde Lee III. \u201cIt\u2019s like Christmas morning for libraries,\u201d said Berk.<\/p>\n
Astound vice president of sales Clyde Lee III present Boys & Girls Club chief executive officer Winston Alozie with a ceremonial check. \u201cWe hope this partnership will continue,\u201d said Alozie.<\/p>\n
press photo by dana grubbRepresentatives from the Allentown Public Library, Bethlehem Area Public Library, Memorial Library of Nazareth and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton join Astound officials for a group photo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Published March 31. 2026 11:57AM Internet and broadband service provider Astound announced a number of grants to area…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":153509,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-153508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}