IBM and United Way Prepare Nonprofits for Potential Disasters

It has been said that “it takes a village to raise a child”, well it takes a trained and coordinated group of nonprofits to help a community recover after a large scale disaster. Thanks to IBM and United Way of Westchester and Putnam, 41 local nonprofits will be working together even more effectively for any future disasters.

Many people don’t realize just how much nonprofits increase services for long-term recovery after a disaster. When nonprofits are not coordinated in these efforts the overall effect on the community can be staggering - everything from repairs to food assistance can slow down to a crawl.

Here in Westchester and Putnam nonprofits coordinate their recovery efforts as members of each county’s Long-Term Recover Coalition (LTRC). Select members from these LTRCs recently joined a June workshop on disaster preparation coordinated by United Way’s 2-1-1 and led by Patrick Corcoran, IBM Resiliency Services and Global Business Development and Technological Services.

LTRC agencies do not wait for a disaster to start planning; they meet throughout the year to be prepared if and when a disaster happens.

“There needs to be a constant focus on preparedness and dedicated time to review different scenarios,” said LTRC member, Toby Pidgeon of the Food Bank of Westchester. “Your planning documents cannot be shelved until a disaster happens,”

Trained LTRC members will now complete updated disaster plans for their agencies and train the remaining LTRC members how to do the same.

The Westchester and Putnam LTRCs partner with government to help the most vulnerable residents after a large scale disaster such as super storm Sandy. By working together they minimize duplication of services and better utilize resources through referrals, advocacy, education and direct aid to residents in need.

“I have witnessed firsthand the importance of having an established LTRC in a community,” said Anthony Sutton, Putnam County Acting Commissioner of Emergency Services. “The success of a community’s ability to rapidly, effectively and compassionately address these anticipated and unanticipated needs for as long as necessary will hinge on a well-established and organized LTRC.”

The IBM disaster training, part of IBM’s charitable Impact Grant series, helps organizations continue to monitor, exercise and improve their disaster plan going forward including accessing what the organization provides during a disaster, which functions are critical to the organization, risk factors that could interrupt services, maintaining technology and more.

“The full day workshop gave participants concrete information to develop a total resilience program for business continuity in the event of disaster,” said Diane E. Russo, MS,CASAC, Chief Executive Officer, Putnam Family & Community Services, Inc.

United Way has partnered with IBM for many years and has introduced several IBM Impact Grants to the nonprofit sector in areas such as social media, website development, project management, strategic planning, and leadership and collaboration.

“IBM Impact Grants help nonprofits tap into IBM’s innovation technology and the deep expertise of its employees which, in turn, helps nonprofits to be more effective in their communities,” said Carlene Gentilesco, COO, United Way of Westchester and Putnam, “We are truly thankful for our partnership with IBM.”

“IBM’s Disaster Readiness Planning Impact Grant assists not-for-profits in developing or improving their disaster preparedness plans, by exploring the principles of continuity planning and delivering evaluation tools, guidance and best practices,” said Mary Murray, IBM, Manager, Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs at IBM. “A strong and effective nonprofit network means more people can get help when they need it most.”

Marisa O’Leary, MA, Assistant Director, Putnam Community Action Program Westchester Community Opportunity Program, said “I have attended numerous disaster preparedness workshops, but this one by far provided the most detailed instruction and model to follow,”

Disaster preparedness training attendees included staff from Arc of Westchester, Catholic Charities, Hispanic Resource Center, Putnam CAP, Putnam Family & Community Services, The Food Bank for Westchester, United Way of Westchester and Putnam, Village of Mamaroneck, Volunteer New York!, and WestCOP.

To learn more about United Way nonprofit support, training and professional development, go to www.uwwp.org.

About IBM

IBM’s comprehensive approach to corporate citizenship aligns with the company’s values and maximizes the impact it can have as a global enterprise. IBM focuses their community engagement and corporate service programs on specific societal issues, including the environment, community economic development, education, health, literacy, language and culture. These are areas of urgent societal needs where IBM’s technology and talent to solve problems can be applied.

About United Way of Westchester and Putnam

For over 50 years, United Way of Westchester and Putnam has operated with the fundamental belief that all people deserve a quality education, enough income to support a family, and opportunities for a healthy lifestyle. United Way works with agency partners, government, businesses and community leaders to solve problems that are too complex for any one entity alone. All contributions go toward improving the education, income, and health of the children, youth and families throughout Westchester and Putnam. United Way’s Hudson Valley Region 2-1-1, covering Westchester and Putnam as well as Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster counties, answers up to 500 calls and 1,000 online inquiries per day ranging from tax, heating, and mortgage questions to childcare, basic needs, natural disaster and crisis calls. United Way of Westchester and Putnam is at 336 Central Park Ave., White Plains, NY 10606. They can be reached at 914-997-6700 or by visiting www.uwwp.org. Follow United Way on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UnitedWayWP) and Twitter (@UnitedWayWP) for the latest news and updates.

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