Baxter Community Center has been providing social service programs to Grand Rapids residents for 56 years. Now, it’s one of 25 nonprofits with an updated community learning center thanks to AT&T. Baxter’s CLC will provide high-speed internet. Residents will have access to 12 Dell desktop computers, free of charge. President of AT&T Heartland States David Lewis.
“We invest in organizations that understand the need, and adoption, access, and affordability is extremely important. Baxter understands that. They also understand that from a connectivity perspective.”
According to a 2024 Kent County study, nearly 28,000 households lack access to wired broadband subscriptions. Baxter’s Executive Director Sonja Forte says the CLC will provide digital resources many take for granted.
“A lot of people not only aren’t connected to the internet, but don’t have the devices. You know, we talk about smart devices and we assume everybody has a smart phone, but that’s not the case, and having someplace that you can go at no charge and get that help and get that access, you wouldn’t believe the number of people that still call or stop by and ask us to fax things somewhere.”
This is the first CLC in West Michigan and the third in the state. AT&T hopes to open 100 more by the end of 2027.
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