UScellular Donates $28,150 in wireless hot spots and service to New Beginnings

LACONIA — To help provide reliable and safe internet access and opportunities and keep local families connected, UScellular has donated 25 wireless hotspots and two years of service to New Beginnings Without Violence & Abuse as part of its After School Access Project.

"The success and safety of families in the communities we serve is very important to us at UScellular," said Tabatha McKay, area vice president/general manager for UScellular in New England, "Connecting people and communities is our mission and the After School Access Project is just one way that we're helping ensure that families have the reliable access they need to grow and pursue their dreams."

Through the After School Access Project, the company has pledged to donate up to $13 million in hotspots and service to help up to 50,000 youth connect to reliable internet in its markets.

To date, the company has donated more than 9,300 hotspots, a value of $10.5 million, to its communities through this initiative. Eligible 501c3 nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply by going to AfterSchoolAccessProject.com.

New Beginnings Without Violence & Abuse will be offering hotspots to survivors and their children to provide them with a secure and private tool to communicate with their supports, apply for jobs, benefits, housing, seek vital resources, satisfy their virtual employment requirements, and help kids stay connected to education and support systems.

"These hotspots will help us address the isolation and control abusers can have over survivors and their children," said Kayley Fournier, program manager for New Beginnings Without Violence and Abuse. "We intend to lend the hotspots to survivors to provide them with reliable, safe, and private access to the internet, so they can move forward in reestablishing their lives."

Hotspots are stand-alone Wi-Fi networks that can connect several devices at once wirelessly and have proven to be a vital tool for families and youth to access the internet, study, and complete homework.

UScellular is focused on addressing gaps in STEM education and is committed to connecting more than 200,000 of tomorrow's innovators each year with the resources they need today to help shape future opportunities. Since 2009, UScellular has donated nearly $21.4 million along with countless experiences and technology items to nonprofit organizations across the country.

For more information about the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives, go to newsroom.uscellular.com/community.

https://newsroom.uscellular.com/community.