| The
Stewpot's Community Voice Mail Program provides FREE
voice mail service to people without phones seeking jobs, housing,
healthcare or safety. Why?
Access to communication is vital to reclaiming stability,
yet is often overlooked as a means to help people in need.
How Does It Work?
Community Voice Mail (CVM) provides people in need with a
personal, 10–digit phone number. CVM sounds just like
an answering machine, allowing users to leave a personal and
professional greeting for callers. A CVM phone number looks
like any other number, and does not signal the user’s
status. Retrieving messages is easy. Simply dial the 10-digit
number from any touch-tone phone and enter a short PIN number.
Users can then hear messages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The
Stewpot's Community Voice Mail program is part of the CVM
national network of sites, empowering people in crisis and
transition by distributing free 24-hour voice mail nationwide
– directly linking individuals to jobs, housing, safety
and stability. CVM National Office website: CVM.org.
Results
Community Voice Mail usage by homeless, at risk and low income residents of Dallas grew at a rate of 20% per month during 2005 thanks to the work of the 39 partnering agencies. Their hard work helped over 160 people find employment and housing in 2005. At year’s end, almost 1200 Dallas residents had used CVM to stay in contact with employers, family and friends, medical and social services, all in hopes of improving their lives.
The Community Voice Mail program added to their services by helping Katrina and Rita evacuees immediately after the hurricanes and started distributing free phone numbers at the Dallas Convention Center in early September. In November, 2005 The Stewpot was designated the National CVM Call Center and Disaster Relief Center. Thousands of free phone numbers were distributed in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and over 2600 evacuees utilized CVM during the last few months of 2005 and into 2006 to help them get their lives back together.
Read
about The Stewpot’s very first client and his success
2005
Dallas CVM Statistics • 2006
Dallas CVM Statistics
Why
Do People
Use CVM? |
|
Who
Will Call Your
CVM Number? |
- Jobs
- Housing
- Escape
domestic abuse
- Obtain
healthcare results
- Childcare
& School Contacts
-
Legal Services
- Friends
& Family
|
|
- Employers
- Landlords
- Case
Managers
- Healthcare
Professionals
- Teachers
& Child Workers
- Lawyers
or Advocates
- People
Who Care About You
|
|
