IBM Team Honored for Mapping Project at United Way Awards Ceremony

Purchase, N.Y, (October 24, 2019) – A team of IBM employees who helped United Way identify gaps in social services in Westchester and Putnam counties, were honored on October 24 at an awards ceremony at Manhattanville College.

United Way Westchester and Putnam President and CEO Tom Gabriel recognized IBM’s Chief Analytics Office members with the award at the organization’s annual United We Rock Awards Ceremony.

The mapping project compared social services needs identified by United Way’s ALICE project with available services. ALICE or Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, was a nationwide study commissioned by the United Way that showed that 4-out-of-10 households in Westchester and Putnam counties lack enough income to make ends meet regularly. The mapping project helped to match areas where ALICE families live with services that are available to help them. The project could potentially help UWWP reach 9,000 more families in need of assistance.

“We want to ensure that families in need have access to services,” said Gabriel. “We are sincerely grateful to IBM and its volunteers for contributing in such a valuable way by helping us identify where the service gaps exist.”

The mapping project earned the Chief Analytics Office the IBM Volunteer Excellence Award and United Way of Westchester and Putnam received a $10,000 grant to continue the work.