Bud Hammer Memorial Day of Golf 2024

HARTSDALE, N.Y. – September 16, 2024 – When Yessica Rodriguez needed to get her young son to several doctor appointments before a vital surgery, she worried about how to get to and from the doctor.

Rodriguez and families like hers are part of the 4 out of 10 households in Westchester and Putnam counties considered the ALICE population, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are families that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county, making important needs like transportation difficult to navigate.

That’s where the United Way of Westchester and Putnam steps in. Their newly-launched Ride United Transportation Access program provides free Lyft rides to individuals and families who need transportation to work, school and medical appointments. Since the program launched in 2021 residents have taken more than 3,000 free rides.

“We don’t have a car and insurance does not cover transportation expenses,” Rodriguez said. “Having the Lyft rides available through United Way has truly been a life-saver for my son. It allowed us to get him to all his appointments without worrying about how we were going to pay for it. We will be forever thankful to United Way for its support.”

United Way of Westchester and Putnam Counties focuses on meeting the needs of families like the Rodriguez family.

“When you are barely making ends meet, it can be impossible to keep your head above water, and sometimes you don’t know where to turn for help,” United Way Chief Impact Officer Faith Butcher said.

Many local United Ways across the United States focus most of their attention on giving grants to other programs that help their community. In Westchester and Putnam County, the focus is broader.

“We are proud to have administered more than $550,000 in grants last year to 39 deserving nonprofits,” Butcher said. “But we have also created 40 different programs on our own to meet the needs of our community.”

Those programs range from the Ride United Last-Mile Delivery initiative—which has completed 125,000 deliveries of meals, food boxes and household supplies to vulnerable populations throughout the area since launching in 2020—to the Summer Backpack program, a partnership that organizes several nonprofits aimed at ensuring that low-income children have food and constructive activities throughout the summer.

“Our goal is to get food and supplies into the hands of families at the exact moment they need it, and in a way that’s convenient for them,” Butcher said.

For those families who may not know where to turn to access services, the United Way also operates the 2-1-1 Helpline of the Hudson Valley and Long Island. Operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the helpline is staffed by community resource specialist who can answer questions about government benefits, legal issues, transportation, and mental health among many others.

“It’s important that we have that line staffed 24-hours a day,” Butcher said. “For many families we serve, the panic of uncertainty doesn’t always come between the hours of 9 [a.m.] and 5 [p.m.]. We’re there to help folks who wake up at three in the morning worried about housing, health care, and other issues.”

The United Way relies on help from charitable events like the Applied Underwriters Invitational golf tournament held at the Scarsdale Golf Club on September 9, 2024.

“This is always one of our favorite events of the year,” Butcher said. “It means so much to know that so many people recognize the importance of embracing everyone in our community. Sometimes the people we serve feel like they are forgotten. This tournament is proof that they are not.”

Last year, the Applied Underwriters Invitational event helped fund the organization’s approach to helping make ends meet for ALICE families.

“With 80 golf tournaments in dozens of states each year, each event has its own particular needs, but together they serve a larger vision,” Applied Underwriters President Jamie Sahara said. “Our golfers and partners have reaffirmed what we already know to be true: the ability to create opportunity where others see setbacks is crucial to success and serving worthy causes.”

Watch a recap here