Local Children, Youth Benefit From United Way, IBM Grants

Five computer systems valued at almost $9,000 have been donated to area agencies serving children and youth, thanks to a cooperative venture between United Way of Roanoke Valley and IBM Corporation.

Greenvale School, Craig County Child Care and the Bedford Area Family YMCA each received a Young Explorers system, featuring the IBM NetVista computer in a colorful Little Tikes console. The Downtown Music Lab was given a NetVista A30 personal computer and accessories that will be used for sound mixing. The Roanoke Valley Speech and Hearing Center was selected to receive a ThinkPad TPA30 system, which is used by staff audiologists to test youngsters in area preschools, including Greenvale.

The gifts are part of IBM’s annual nationwide technology donation program, this year valued at more than $5 million, in cooperation with about 150 different United Way organizations. Grants are made solely to nonprofit agencies which meet IBM program qualifications. Services must be provided in one or more of these five areas: youth education/early learning, community and family services, support for the disabled/disadvantaged, adult services such as literacy and job training and youth development.

“We are delighted that Roanoke Valley youth will benefit from this year’s donations,” said John Caldwell, IBM Senior Location Manager serving the Roanoke region. “IBM has a strong commitment to helping young people because they are the future of our society. If they start early learning not just facts and figures, but also how to learn, they can grow into strong learners and performers for tomorrow.”

Caldwell pointed out that the Young Explorers system is designed for two children to be seated at the console. “We never lose sight of the fact that computer interaction is not everything,” he said. “We want children to be comfortable with the computer as a tool, and to discover that learning and working are cooperative ventures between people.”

Announcement of the IBM donations was made today at Greenvale School, where youngsters demonstrated the appealing features of the Young Explorers system. Other grant recipients were on hand to express their appreciation to Sally Marietta from the IBM Foundation and Frank Rogan, president of United Way of Roanoke Valley.

This marks the seventh year that IBM and United Way have teamed to put advanced technology in the hands of nonprofit organizations across the country. To date, an estimated 17,000 new computer systems have been contributed.

United Way of Roanoke Valley administers the IBM program by inviting applications from any eligible area nonprofits. Local volunteers screen requests and select recipients based on need and intended computer use. Nationally, the donation program is managed by Gifts in Kind International, the world’s leading charity in product philanthropy.