As Tasha Lopez describes it, her decision to help other people
   in her community was an easy choice. Quite simply, it was a
     debt to society that she was only too happy to pay.

       "I'd never have the education or
         career I have today if there
          weren't people around to give
           me help and guidance," says
           Lopez, who was the first in her
           family to go to college.

         When she joined IBM two years
      ago as an engineer, this enthusiastic
    young woman felt it was her turn to
  offer help and guidance. Her accomplishments include teaching

             minority students, helping out with IBM Kids Expo, becoming a core team leader
for MentorPlace, and playing a key role in organizing a National Engineers Week dinner
for students and professionals.

"This is a way for me to give back. Through programs like these, young people understand how they, too, can achieve their dreams."

As a newcomer to the Hudson Valley, it took a while for Lopez to find the best way for her and other employees to help different organizations. Now she has just moved to an IBM sales office in Irvine, Calif. But this time around locating an offering that complements her talents will be easy.

"The On Demand Community site captures all the IBM tools for different volunteer opportunities in one place, and that's very helpful," says Lopez.

For Lopez, On Demand Community supports an ideal that's important to her. She explains, "I wanted to work in a company committed to diversity and community services. IBM has that focus and, I can tell you, it really lives up to its reputation." Citing the example of such programs as Community Grants, she concludes, "IBM gives tremendous support to employee volunteers and the communities they serve."