In just over a year as an Apparo volunteer, Josh Glassberg of Duke Energy has already supported the technology journeys of three nonprofits.
Last year, Josh volunteered to help with a technology plan, Google migration and internet upgrade/access point assessment for Children’s Theater of Charlotte. He is helping Charlotte Rescue Mission with the selection and implementation of new check and remit scanning software and also working on a technology planning team for Changed Choices.
Josh shares about the significance of his volunteer experience with Apparo, “I joined the team volunteering for Children’s Theater of Charlotte when one of my Duke Energy colleagues sent an email looking for IT support for the project. I was drawn to this project because I think this is a fantastic organization. I knew I had the skills and thought it sounded interesting, but I was a little bit nervous about the time commitment and if they would expect me to be on-call to solve their problems. Then I saw the project schedule and saw how manageable it was. I started working on the project and appreciated how Apparo keeps us organized and moving in the right direction. We didn’t have to waste time trying to remember what we did at the last meeting.
“For Charlotte Rescue Mission we are acting as their technology advocates, making sure they get the right product for the right price. It feels wonderful to be part of a team and process that is going to help them save more than 5 hours a day of work. With Changed Choices, our work is going to help them become well positioned to grow and add more locations, so they can help more women. I’m learning that with skills-based volunteering, like I do with Apparo, it’s not just hands-on labor, but more powerful because you are the expert. You’re delivering more valuable volunteering to the nonprofit, which feels great.
“Through this volunteering, I also enjoy experiences that are outside of my day-to-day work. While volunteering with Apparo I get to play with technology that I wouldn’t otherwise, build new skills and stay up to date on new technology. I also get to solve different kinds of puzzles, like those created with limited nonprofit budgets, infrastructure and other resources. I’m proud to tell others at Duke Energy and my community that I volunteer with Apparo.”
Nonprofit leaders share their appreciation of Josh:
- “Josh’s expertise with network infrastructure and Wi-Fi allowed us to loop in some other ideas that will ultimately help our staff communicate more efficiently and collaboratively.” – Rob Odum, Children’s Theater of Charlotte
- “Tackling any technology project in a nonprofit setting can be a very stressful process because we always need more than what our budget allows. Josh brought kindness to the partnership from the beginning and stayed by our side fully understanding our need to accomplish a lot with very little. – Nao Tsurumaki, Children’s Theater of Charlotte
- “Josh went above and beyond for Changed Choices during our GAIN experience. After noticing some internet stability issues during our meetings, he personally visited our office and addressed the issue. Amazing!” – Katie Gauntner – Changed Choices
- “I have had the privilege of working with Josh on two separate projects, serving two different nonprofits. Josh’s passion to make a difference in our community is so evident in his work. He is always willing to go above and beyond and make onsite visits to assist with technology set up and troubleshooting. He brings the expertise needed to make the project a success. I am grateful for Josh and all the hours he has contributed to amplify the impact of other nonprofit organizations.” – Allison Grant, Apparo
