Finding the passion behind volunteering
In honor of National Volunteer Month, Driven Brands is honored to share stories of employees who dedicate their time and resources to helping others.
Andrew Nelderberg loves forming connections with others.
This has been a driving factor throughout his professional career – and one that led him to join Driven Brands in 2022 as a Senior Marketing Manager. In this role, he leads marketing initiatives to support CARSTAR locations in the U.S. It gave him the opportunity to combine his passion for marketing and advertising with his life-long passion for cars.
Andrew has also found countless opportunities to connect with people from all walks of life, particularly through his work with the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation, a charitable partner for the Driven Brands collision brands including CARSTAR, Abra, and Fix Auto USA. Currently, there is no cure for CF, which is the most common fatal genetic disease. As he heard stories directly from those affected by CF, Andrew knew it was a cause he wanted to support.
“I come from a background of being involved in charitable organizations and volunteering,” Andrew explains. “That’s how we grew up. At a young age, I was very active in the 4-H programs in my local community, and it was a great experience getting to know so many different people.”
At Driven Brands, he’s been able to branch out further and get to know people who are impacted by CF.
“At first, I had no personal connection to CF, but as time has gone on and I’ve shared how I’ve been involved, there’s people in my life who share that they do have a connection. It makes the work even more impactful,” he says.
CARSTAR’s personal connection to CF makes the work even more meaningful. Driven Brands’ support of the CF Foundation stems from a franchise owner in Canada whose granddaughter was diagnosed with the disease more than 25 years ago. Today, supporting CF is built into the CARSTAR brand.
Opportunities to make a difference
When looking back on his work with CARSTAR and the CF Foundation over the last two years, Andrew recalls several instances where he felt his work made a lasting impact. He’s become involved in the local Charlotte Great Strides, an annual walk that raises money to find a cure for the disease.
“My first year at Driven and first Great Strides, my family and I did the walk together,” Andrew said. “It was an amazing experience to be out in the community and walking alongside those who are battling CF or know someone who is.”
Another favorite memory for Andrew is a silent art auction CARSTAR organized.
“Children who are battling CF created artwork that we were able to auction off at our 2022 Conference. I love when I go somewhere and see that art hanging up,” he says.
But for Andrew, getting to know the children-turned-artists was his favorite part.
“That following holiday season we made gift baskets to give to the kids who had donated their art, as a small thank you. This one recipient was so excited by it. She asked right away if we needed more art because she could make more for us,” Andrew recalls.
Later that evening, the mother of that little girl sent Andrew a text of her smiling after completing a puzzle from the gift basket.
“That one text and seeing her face meant so much,” he said.
Speaking up for the future
Recently, Andrew’s been able to step out into a more public forum to support CF.
At the recent CF Foundation Volunteer Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., Driven Brands Collision group was honored for the fifth year as a national corporate champion. At the conference, Andrew spoke on a panel about fundraising for CF and ways to generate corporate participation.
“This was my second year on the panel, and it was an amazing experience,” Andrew said. I really wanted to stress how powerful it is to connect with families and people in the CF community.”
Regardless of where someone works, Andrew encourages everyone to look for ways to become more involved individually, as well as encourage involvement at an organizational level.
“Find something you’re passionate about or connect with and go for it,” Andrew says. “Being active in a community is so valuable on a professional and personal level. As an organization, it helps us connect with our customers and unite people from all backgrounds.”
Learn more about our work with CF and other organizations through our Driven Brands Foundation.