The Provident Bank Foundation (PBF) has announced Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation (PBS39) in Bethlehem, PA, as the recipient of the Foundation’s $50,000 Signature Grant for 2018 in the Education funding priority area.

PBS39, in collaboration with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, was selected for its work in the Education Services focus area. The collaboration will focus on the educational initiative, Lehigh Valley Reads, which aims to have all local students reading at grade level by Grade 3.

“Raising the awareness of literacy, which is exactly what PBS39 is doing through Lehigh Valley Reads, is critical in the field of education,” said Jane Kurek, Executive Director, The Provident Bank Foundation. “It is our mission at the Foundation to help give people of all ages the resources and knowledge needed to prosper.”

Funding will support the community-wide promotion of the literacy strategy, Talk, Read, Sing, as part of the overall initiative. This evidence-based approach will teach parents and caregivers of children, ages 0-3, basic skills on how to positively impact early literacy and social-emotional development. The strategy focuses on the importance of early childhood literacy and its academic, economic, and societal impact. It aims to provide families with the resources needed to set their children up for future success.

“PBS39 values the power of partnership,” said Timothy Fallon, CEO of Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. “This grant from our partners at the Provident Bank Foundation creates yet another valuable opportunity for PBS39 and the United Way to work together to end the cycle of poverty with the groundbreaking program Talk, Read, Sing.”

PBS39 is a community-owned public television station licensed to Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, PA, serving eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. Its mission is to act as the catalyst to promote civic engagement, and to fulfill the regional needs of the Greater Lehigh Valley through its dynamic communication platforms and resources.

The Foundation will present the check during a presentation on Monday, August 20, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. at the PBS39 Public Media Center, 839 Sesame Street, Bethlehem, PA. Attending from The Provident Bank Foundation are President Christopher Martin and Executive Director Jane Kurek. Accepting the grant on behalf of PBS39 is Timothy Fallon, CEO of Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation and Marci Ronald-Lesko, Executive Vice President of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.

For more information about PBF, visit www.theprovidentbankfoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.

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About The Provident Bank Foundation

The Provident Bank Foundation was established in 2003 by Provident Bank to enhance the quality of life in the region through support of not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services in communities served by the Bank. Since inception, the Foundation has granted more than $23 million to not-for-profit organizations and institutions working toward stronger communities.