Repair and Reuse with Tech United Volunteer, Samuel Inzerillo

What happens to a laptop when it’s no longer wanted? Does it end up in a junk drawer buried beneath old charging cables or in a box in the attic?  

What if your old tech could be put to good use, as a way to help others?

In 2020, as schools were shifting from in-person to online classes, Sam Inzerillo found a new calling: fixing up donated laptops as part of United Way of Greater Nashua’s (UWGN) digital equity program, Tech Help United.  

Sam and his wife have spent over 23 years giving back to their community. His connection to Tech United, initially came through other volunteer work.  

During the COVID pandemic, Sam’s wife began volunteering with UWGN’s free breakfast and lunch program for school-age children. Sam pitched in and, soon thereafter, found himself refurbishing donated laptops for students enrolling in virtual classes.

He built a lab in his basement and in his spare time began converting old laptops into chromebooks for any student who wanted to work from home.  

These days, the repaired laptops, licensed under the Microsoft Registered Refurbisher program, are handed out to low-income residents who use them to apply for jobs, search for an apartment or determine eligibility for benefits. UWGN also has digital navigators who provide one-on-one tech help at a local library.  

“It’s amazing how many things are only really available through a website or app,” said Sam. “Especially resources for folks who are exiting transitional housing, temporary housing or a program – they don’t have a home, let alone access to the Internet.” 

I’ve lived a blessed life. It’s given me the time and the means to give back.”   

His mission is to make things as simple and turnkey as possible: a free laptop, with software that could be used immediately.  

Fixing computers isn’t Sam’s only volunteer work – he also maintains little libraries around the city – however, he likes being able to make laptop repairs in his free time and at his own pace. Plus, the full-time software engineer and father of three has been taking computers apart and putting them back together for years.

Sam enjoys volunteering and has no plans to stop any time soon. “I’ve lived a blessed life,” he reflected. “It’s given me the time and the means to give back.”