October 11 , 2004

By Terry Timm Moos, News@Cisco

The search for work can be daunting - researching companies, networking, filling out job applications, sending resumes, keeping a positive attitude - and then waiting for employers to call back. But the difficulties of a job hunt are compounded when you are homeless and without telephone service.

Community Voice Mail to the Rescue

Across the U.S., hundreds of people whose lives are in transition are now using the services of Community Voice Mail for that important link to a telephone. They are parents, teenagers, people fleeing domestic abuse, veterans, and folks who are 'a paycheck away from homelessness.'

Community Voice Mail (CVM) provides a simple and effective solution to a complex problem -- helping people stay connected to a consistent telephone number, whether they are searching for work or trying to find housing.

People who lose their employment and become homeless begin a downward spiral. Access to telephone service is vital to reclaiming stability, yet is often overlooked as a means to help people in need. For many people, Community Voice Mail service is the only way they can communicate with the outside world.

"Losing a home means more than losing a roof over your head," explained Patricia Bonnell, Director of Development & Communications for Community Voice Mail. "You also become disconnected from all of the services that go with having an address - including your own telephone number. Sometimes people going through life crises have to make hard choices about which services they can keep. Too often, they give up their telephone service, which further isolates them," she continued. CVM provides a vital, low cost, missing link between a person in crisis, and their support network of family, friends, co-workers, and relevant health & human services.

The Community Voice Mail National Office, located in Seattle, Wash., is the hub for CVM sites nationwide, providing free, personalized 24-hour voice mail access to those without a telephone. The national office received a $2.5 million grant over five years from the Cisco Systems Foundation to upgrade technology, increase impact, and reduce costs at more than 30 existing US sites, with the long-term goal of bringing the service to the 50 most populous US cities.

The CVM national headquarters also recently co-located offices at the Cisco-Seattle site, and have benefited from ongoing volunteer engagement by more than 20 Cisco Seattle employees who assist CVM by providing software customization and support for the UNITY voicemail system. Cisco has also supported CVM by contributing related hardware to host UNITY in several locations.

Dallas Launches First Community Voice Mail program

According to reports, an estimated 5,600 Dallas residents are homeless on any given night. On August 24, 2004, the innovative Community Voice Mail program was launched in Dallas to help homeless people stay connected - which ultimately will be a big step in finding jobs and housing.

According to Bonnell, several factors came into play when Community Voice Mail was expanding. Dallas was the only city in the nation's top ten that did not have the service. "Community Voice Mail is basically community-generated - someone in the community has to want it," she said. "In Dallas, that person was Larry Sykes, who was instrumental in making our Dallas program a reality."

Sykes, a successful real estate broker who left the business in favor of community service, leads the local chapter of Community Voice Mail. "A year ago, I decided to get into non-profit work, and a friend from Houston told me about Community Voice Mail. Within 11 days, I was at Community Voice Mail's national conference in Seattle, and we were on our way, knocking on doors, raising funds." he explained. "Folks in Dallas couldn't believe we didn't already have a service like this," Sykes continued. "It makes so much sense, and the need is clear."

Sykes has been involved in charitable work for many years, including volunteering at The Stewpot, a local multi-service organization which provides meals, medical and psychiatric care, dental care, mail service, substance abuse programs, case work assistance, and other programs for homeless and displaced people.

Through its partnership with Community Voice Mail, The Stewpot will provide blocks of voicemail numbers to local agencies (shelters, feeding operations, low-income assistance programs, etc.), who in turn distribute them to people in need. "Community Voice Mail was such a natural fit with this organization," Sykes said, "It will be a significant tool to help our clients find jobs, housing and a potentially better life."

It Really Works: Case Study Shows Importance of Telephone for Job Searches

Community Voice Mail is free to clients, and takes less than three minutes to set up. Each client receives his or her own voice mailbox, and activates it by recording a personalized greeting in his or her own voice. A CVM number looks like any other local telephone number - and does not signal the client's status as a homeless or phoneless person. Advocates of voice mail for the homeless agree that employers are not inclined to call a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen.

"The first person to get a Community Voice Mail number in Dallas was Mel Cornelison, who helped demonstrate the ease of setting up a message by recording his own message while a news reporter was present," said Sykes. Cornelison's voice mail number was publicized, and after rounds of 'telephone tag', Cornelison and Goodwill Industries connected, which resulted in a job offer - and a steady paycheck. "Think about it - there are many people who don't even get the chance to play phone tag," laughed Sykes. "The beauty of CVM is that people can get back to you, and you can get back to them."

As people find jobs and housing, the telephone numbers are turned over. "Most people using CVM are grateful for the service," said Bonnell. "They willingly give up the number, when they are able, for the next person who needs it. We are usually able to turn a single number at least twice a year."

Cisco Systems Technology Powers CVM

Cisco Systems maintains a large facility in Richardson, Texas, as a regional hub. "It was natural to bring CVM to the area," said Bonnell. Local Cisco employee volunteers at the facility provided technical and project assistance in launching Dallas CVM. Community Voice Mail will use the Cisco Unity Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications technology.

"We are helping so many different people - the homeless, domestic violence victims, foster children, and families who experience a change in their economic circumstances. At Community Voicemail, we try to help stop the 'tumble' so people can get back up again - a phone number can really be a lifeline," explained Bonnell.

A Record of Good Results

Community Voice Mail relies entirely on grants and individual donations to fund its national programs. Bonnell says, "CVM is a perfect example of how an individual can truly make a difference. For a donation of about $7 a month, we can provide a user with free voice mail - directly linking them to jobs, housing, and stability."

Despite record unemployment and lack of affordable housing, nationwide statistics for 47,000 Community Voice Mail users in 2003 showed that 48% of those users looking for jobs found jobs, and 53% of CVM homeless users found housing. "What is heartening is that once people learn about the Community Voice Mail program, they realize its value for the long-term," explained Bonnell.

Terry Timm Moos is a freelance journalist located in Seattle, WA.