ECR Software Corporation skilled volunteer delivered a strategic technology plan for House of Mercy through Apparo’s Community Impact Project program. House of Mercy anticipates that the time staff will save as a result of this project will be used for planning and implementing new programs for those living with HIV/AIDS.
House of Mercy provides residential, advocacy and support programs to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Through these programs they are able to provide compassionate care for those that are unable to live independently and to offer assistance to those in need of additional support to maintain their health and well-being. House of Mercy’s Bridge Program gives participants access to emergency rental assistance, utility support, transportation and groceries.
House of Mercy leadership reached out to Apparo seeking a technology plan and roadmap to help support their future growth. Apparo matched with them with skilled volunteer Johann Vaz of ECR Software Corporation who conducted a current state assessment and provided a robust technology plan and roadmap that will allow House of Mercy to save staff time, reduce risk, increase revenue and increase their programming and the number of lives they touch each year.
As a result of this project, House of Mercy will have standard technology processes and policies in place that will allow them to operate more collaboratively, efficiently and effectively. House of Mercy President and CEO, Latoya Gardner, shared, “Technology is no longer just used for storage but will now be utilized to empower staff to do their jobs more efficiently and to communicate more effectively.” Having a standard model in place will improve their ability to strategically plan organizational goals and to ensure they have the right infrastructure in place. House of Mercy will also experience a decrease in risks as they implement standard processes for file storage and user access controls.
House of Mercy will be implementing several recommended process changes and anticipate staff will save over 175 hours annually. This time saved will allow staff to spend time planning and implementing their new Bridge program which will serve around 35 more individuals annually. The process changes will also allow House of Mercy to more effectively use technology to track client progress. Gardner, shared, “Having a standard digital workflow allows us to see and track the moments of impact in the lives of those we serve so that we can share stories of transformation with the community and potential funders.” By having these inspiring stories and fully utilizing functionality in their donor database, House of Mercy anticipates a potential increase in revenue which will allow them to continue the good work they are doing in the community.
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Johann Vaz, ECR Software Corporation, contributed 45 hours to the project and delivered a project worth $10,725. Vaz shared, “I’m truly humbled and honored to be able to volunteer my talents and time to the House of Mercy to help positively impact their services and thereby the lives of those they enrich. I appreciate ECRS for their support of the local community through philanthropy. I applaud the team at Apparo and all their efforts in creating positive social change in our communities. Well done!.”
Effron Esseiva, House of Mercy Pro Bono CTO, shared his appreciation for Vaz’s volunteer efforts, “Apparo brought Johann to the House of Mercy to lead an IT Assessment and leaves us with a friend of the House of Mercy. The methodology was perfect for the task to document and articulate the as-is and paint a vision for where we need to go. Johann you are perfect. Thank you.”
Gardner shared, “I appreciate Johann’s willingness to be patient as we dove into our technology. What he has given us means a lot for our organization and those we serve.”
