Making a positive difference in the community is not just about giving money… it’s about providing solutions.

Thanks to a partnership between the Franklin-Grand Isle United Way and computer giant IBM, 12 local nonprofits and libraries are the proud owners of $24,000 worth of new computers. As part of a recent donation, IBM gifted six laptops and ten personal computers to the FGI United Way, which then redistributed the computers to a wide variety of deserving organizations: Voices Against Violence, the Franklin County Senior Center, the Franklin-Grand Isle Bookmobile, the Grand Isle/Franklin County Clean Teams, the Franklin County Court Diversion, Samaritan House and public libraries in St. Albans, Montgomery, Franklin, Georgia, Swanton and Highgate.

The computers will be put to a variety of uses: serving library patrons, running educational programs, helping shelter residents, keeping records, establishing a Time Bank, assisting Americorps workers, assisting with case management and more. These donations came in the nick of time for many of the recipients; some were using computers that were almost a decade old.

“We replaced an eight-year old computer that our patrons use,” said Marilyn Barney, library director at the Swanton Public Library. “It ran so slowly and constantly kept crashing… our patrons never wanted to use it. In-kind gifts like this are very important to us because we don’t run on a large budget, and new computers are seldom budgeted for. We’re ecstatic.”

Another of the donated computers is being used to help establish a time bank - a networked system where community members can exchange goods and services - called “Hour Power” in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. The computer is being used to keep a database of exchanges and credits, and will be set up at the Franklin County Senior Center.

“This desktop donation from the United Way has made it possible for Hour Power and the Senior Center to strengthen our partnership, in an effort to make goods and services accessible and affordable to our community elders,” said Chrissy Birong, an Americorps Vista who is helping to set up the time bank.

Deb Grennon, the director of the Franklin-Grand Isle Bookmobile, said that a “huge portion” of the Bookmobile’s budget is composed of in-kind donations.

“Our other computer simply wasn’t fast enough,” said Grennon, who added that the Bookmobile staff can now perform tasks such as creating a Facebook page. “Our relationship with the United Way has been wonderful… we love the United Way.”

As economic belts tighten in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, the FGI United Way and its supporters continue to search out new ways to move beyond dollars. One way the United Way has been doing this is through the focused distribution of “in-kind donations”, nonmonetary gifts that businesses and individuals in the community contribute to the United Way. The community’s in-kind support has been overwhelming; in 2008, the FGI United Way received $70,646 worth of in-kind donations.

As long as donors like IBM continue to make a difference, the FGI United Way will continue to make the best possible use of their gifts.
“IBM’s investment will allow us to address a variety of important health and human services needs throughout Franklin and Grand Isle Counties,” said Karina Ware, executive director of the FGI United Way. “Whether it’s helping build a leadership training program, taking care of the elderly, providing meaningful information and referral through VT 211, assisting local families, helping a community during a disaster or providing basic needs, the United Way is committed to increasing our organized capacity to care for one another. IBM’s kind support allows us to continue this important work and to grow as a community solutions provider.”

For more information on how to make an in-kind donation to the United Way, visit www.fgiunitedway.org or call 802-527-7418.

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