November 3, 2008
Coalition to End Homelessness Launches Community Voice Mail
Community Voice Mail provides free voice mail for South Florida homeless & phone-less community
On Friday November 7th a formerly homeless Broward resident will retrieve an inaugural voice mail message from the CEO of the Coalition to End Homelessness (Laura Hansen) during the 12th Annual Portrait of the Homeless Luncheon. This will be the official launch of Community Voice Mail to the South Florida Community. The voice mail service was designed to help homeless and low income people communicate with potential employers, healthcare services, childcare providers, landlords, and family. Homeless & phone-less people are given their own personal voice mail numbers which takes messages and they can retrieve their messages from any phone totally free.
Laura Hansen is passionate about helping the homeless. Her passion helped inspire the launch of the Community Voice Mail program in South Florida. Laura strongly feels the program addresses the critical need of communication for homeless and low income people to help them regain self sufficiency. The Coalition to End Homelessness will use CVM as an innovative tool to empower homeless individuals to improve their ability to conduct the business of their lives.
The Coalition to end Homelessness has already begun to partner with community agencies all over Broward County to offer more than 200 voice mail boxes to homeless and low income people. The program is set to offer more than 1000 voice mail boxes throughout South Florida in an effort to reduce homelessness, unemployment, increase healthcare access, and maintain family connections.
Often times we take for granted the many challenges that come from being homeless. Although we often address the obvious need of providing food, and shelter, we now have the ability to provide an effective tool that empowers people to get back “on track” with jobs, housing, and healthcare. Community Voice Mail is now available here in South Florida and we are proud to be apart of it.