To Whom it May Concern:
The Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter (LFANC) began our relationship with Apparo in 2015 when we applied for and eventually won Apparo’s 2016 Technology Innovation Award. Winning this award and embarking on our relationship with Apparo allowed us to bring our Project Inclusion vision to life. Our goal was to bridge the barriers and gaps that prevent Lupus Thrivers from getting the education they need.
Lupus can strike at any time. It can prevent mobility, thus isolating individuals. LFANC serves the entire state with support services; however, reaching Lupus Thrivers in rural areas, and those physically unable to attend our educational events, was an ongoing challenge.
Before working with Apparo, we could provide support only to those who could reach us in person. The award provided not only the funding, but also the support and structure we needed, to achieve our goals. Working with Apparo, our reach was both enhanced and expanded. We now provide support to Lupus Thrive rs across the country through several new initiatives enabled by our award and the support of Apparo. We have:
- Created educational seminars through Facebook Live
- Developed a text message system to push wellness updates and educational content to show Thrivers how they can take an active role in their care
- Created a virtual board room to bring more board members and volunteers outside of Charlotte into our network
As a result, we have expanded our reach and improved our internal efficiency. The text message system alone has more than 200 subscribers. We have fewer needs to travel throughout the statute deliver our educational content, freeing valuable time and funds to dedicate to serving our community of Lupus Thrivers as well as being able to reach those that are living with Lupus and unable to leave their homes due to the debilitating effects of Lupus.
Our relationship with Apparo has continued to the present day as we regularly reach out for help tackling a broad range of technology issues. We recently asked Apparo to help address our incredibly slow internet speed. Work that should have been taking minutes was taking hours. Our clients who should have been able to get immediate referrals and answers to their questions were forced to wait.
At no cost to us, Apparo assessed our internet and telephone systems. We have implemented their recommended changes, which increased our efficiency exponentially and resulted in a $2,400 annual savings.
We are better at fulfilling our mission because of our work with Apparo. The lives of Lupus Thrivers are improved every day.
Jenny Prince
President & CEO
Lupus Foundation of America, North Carolina Chapter
