The funding will support New Bethany’s Southside Drop-in Center Digital Inclusion Project.

New Bethany Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing food access, housing and social services to those experiencing poverty, hunger and homelessness, received $18,000 from the 2025-26 Trusted Response Fund (TRF). Part of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation’s Capacity Building Leadership Grantmaking, the funds from the grant will support New Bethany’s Southside Drop-in Center Digital Inclusion Project. 

“Access to technology is no longer a luxury; it’s essential for navigating daily life,” said Veronne Demesyeux, associate executive director of New Bethany. “This funding allows us to better support our neighbors as they apply for jobs, connect with health care and access critical resources. We’re grateful to the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation and its fundholders for recognizing the importance of digital equity and investing in solutions that promote dignity and opportunity.”

Further supported by research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, a 2022 report found that reliable digital technology is not only essential for remote work or learning but also for everyday basic tasks, such as scheduling doctors’ appointments. The analysis also found that counties with lower rates of device access tend to have greater percentages of people of color, higher shares of people with disabilities, and lower median household incomes. 

Following the loss of a Bethlehem Area Public Library grant, community members have reduced access to digital technology, creating challenges to those who rely on the library’s services. New Bethany’s Southside Drop-in Center will improve access to digital technology, including computers, tablets and phones, as well as internet and phone service. The nonprofit plans to purchase tablets and internet-enabled phones for the community to use.

The TRF grant is made possible through contributions from the following fundholders, who contribute to foundation-directed grantmaking:

  • Comcast Corporation 
  • The Pine Fund 
  • Lehigh Valley Helping Hand Fund 
  • Donald & Alice Farquharson Fund 
  • Leonard A. Wenzel Memorial Fund for South Bethlehem 
  • Outdoor Recreation Fund for Youth 
  • Luther J. Hottle Fund 
  • William C. Rybak Fund for People with Disabilities 
  • John L. Daniel & Carol Holben-Daniel Fund 
  • Margaret Ann Bachert Fund 
  • Ben Franklin Trust Fund 
  • Eugene G. Grace, Jr. Fund 
  • 250th Book Fund 
  • Deborah S. Haight Fund 
  • Anthony J. Ruggiero Fund 
  • Martina M. Malone Fund 
  • Randy H. & Ramona A. Bruch Fund 
  • E. Spencer & Nellie C. Addison Fund 
  • Betsy & Jack Jordan Fund 
  • Michael C. Schrader Fund 
  • Greene Family Fund 
  • Link Family Fund 
  • Margot Hillman and Steven W. Kraft

For more information about the Trusted Respond Fund, visit: https://www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org/lvcf-awards-grants-from-trusted-response-fund/