Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation invests in digital equity for South Texas

HARLINGEN, Texas – Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation has awarded Connect Humanity a grant to help bridge the digital divide in South Texas.

The award – $395,400 over two years – will support the Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition, a diverse, local coalition working to expand broadband infrastructure, foster digital skills and break down barriers to the region’s persistent barriers to economic opportunity and health equity.

Judy Quisenberry, VBLF’s executive director, said her nonprofit has long supported efforts to improve the health of the Rio Grande Valley. She said the group sees connectivity as a critical foundation to support its mission. 

“Access to the internet is critical to development across a range of social and economic areas and was recognized by the Centers for Disease Control as a ‘super social determinant of health’,” Quisenberry said. “We’re proud to support the coalition’s diverse network of partners to ensure that the opportunities promised by the digital revolution become reality for everyone in the Rio Grande Valley.”

Quisenberry said VBLF’s support for the RGV Broadband Coalition will help accelerate the region’s digitalization journey and ensure residents can access the full social, health, and economic benefits hi-speed broadband internet can deliver.

On its website, Connect Humanity says internet access is too important to leave to the market and the traditional operators that have failed billions of people around the world who remain underserved. “That’s why we invest in the community-focused internet service providers (ISPs) that are successfully connecting those hardest to reach. By supporting these initiatives, we help communities build the internet infrastructure and skills they need to participate fully in a digital society.”

Jordana Barton-Garcia is a senior fellow at Connect Humanity. She co-founded the Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition with Manny Cruz, executive director of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council.

Barton-Garcia said that a time where more than 80 percent of jobs are posted online and 92 percent of jobs require digital skills, fewer than half of households in the RGV have fixed broadband. This lack of connectivity exacerbates the existing inequalities prevalent in the persistent poverty areas of Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Starr counties, she explained.

Barton-Garcia explained the importance of the RGV Broadband Coalition. She said that from working with the Texas Broadband Development Office on broadband infrastructure expansion to creating programs to build digital workforce skills, digitalizing small businesses, and expanding access to telehealth, RGV Broadband Coalition takes a holistic approach to breaking down the region’s persistent barriers to economic opportunity and health equity.

And Barton-Garcia had nothing but praise for the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation. She said the foundation provides critical support for the ongoing efforts of the Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition to bring affordable, reliable internet access to all families and businesses across a region that continues to experience some of the lowest connectivity rates in the United States.

“This award from the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation gives us the momentum we need to break through the barriers holding us back,” Barton-Garcia said.

“We’re not only building infrastructure, but creating a new foundation for better health, more economic opportunities, and shared prosperity in the Rio Grande Valley. That foundation will channel the power of our people and their creativity and perseverance. We’re hugely grateful to the Legacy Foundation for their engaged philanthropy that will propel us forward on this journey.”

With more federal and state funds available for broadband infrastructure than ever before, Barton-Garcia said it is vital to have a strong local coalition preparing a plan to ensure these funds are awarded to the region and used effectively to secure a better future for families and businesses in South Texas.

VBLF was an early member and supporter helping to establish the RGV Broadband Coalition and this continued support will enable the coalition to complete and begin implementing its regional plan this year, while developing locally-driven solutions that can be replicated across the region, Barton-Garcia added.

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