The Helen & R.K. Laros Foundation was established in 1952 by Laros Silk Company founder and owner R.K. Laros and his wife Helen.

The Laros Foundation recognizes this year’s grant recipients and the 2023 Founders Award, as follows:

ArtsQuest; a $20,000 grant supporting the new Cultural Arts Center; Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering $5,500 for 2022-23 operating support; Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem; $11,000 to complete a comprehensive HVAC overhaul and honoring Executive Director Winston Alozie with the Foundation’s Founders Award; Central Moravian Church $7,500 to support the replacement of aging infrastructure for the annual Community Putz; Community Action Lehigh Valley $12,000 to make updates to the Forte Building including energy efficiency lighting; Godfrey Daniels $6,000 for the replacement of aged flooring; Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network $15,000 for the new center; Valley Hospital, Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley $8,000 for increased costs to HVAC repairs and replacement; Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites $15,000 to sponsor the upcoming exhibit, The Story of Silk; Kindness Project $1,000 honoring Trustee George Mowrer for his 20 years of service to the foundation; Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers, Inc. $15,000 to support renovations to the playground at the Fountain Hill Children’s Center; Miller-Keystone Blood Center $10,000 for the Trima Accel AutomatedBlood Collection; Northampton Community College $25,000 to expand the Dental Hygiene Clinic at the Fowler Family Southside Center; Northeast Community Center $34,000 to repurpose the foyer at the Miller Heights facility; YMCA $500 in gratitude for hosting the foundation’s 2022 annual meeting.

The Helen & R.K. Laros Foundation provides grant support with a focus on enduring capital projects that will have significant community impact in the Bethlehem area. The grant application for 2023, more information and contact for Director Sharon Zondag are available at larosfoundation.org.

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