TRANFORMATION STORIES
Robin - Community Voice Mail
“Sometimes my family didn’t know if I was alive or dead,” admits Robin, “but with this voice mail number they can contact me.”
Community Voice Mail
Living on the streets; moving in and out of homeless shelters; escaping domestic violence; struggling as a single parent; searching for work, especially after prison; or needing information on benefits as a veteran, elder or disabled person, all represent situations where people may be “phoneless” due to limited resources, unstable housing, or unsafe environments. Access to communication, though often overlooked, is vital to helping people in need stabilize their lives.
The Weingart Center Association provides an easy-to-use and free voice mail service to these individuals, connecting them to jobs, housing, education, medical and child care services. Our Community Voice Mail (CVM) program is a life-saving connection which delivers personalized 24-hour voicemail access to people in crisis and transition who need a reliable and confidential way to communicate with prospective employers, landlords, health care providers, case managers, social service staff, and family.
Through our Community Voicemail program, we provide a vital communication tool for 1,500 people throughout Los Angeles County. Since its inception in 2001, the program has provided a direct link to opportunities for over 3500 men and women in need and a variety of community agencies like Aids Project Los Angeles, Downtown Women’s Center, and 1736 Family Crisis Center.
Listen to one of our broadcast messages sent to all users as an example of the relevant and critical information we are able to deliver to the community.
How does CVM work?
Community Voice Mail (CVM) provides people in need with a personal, 7–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 7-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.
Why Do People Use CVM?
- Looking for jobs
- Seeking housing
- Escaping domestic abuse
- Obtaining healthcare results
- Childcare and school
- Legal Services
Who Will Call Your CVM Number?
- Employers
- Landlords
- Case Managers
- Healthcare Professionals
- Teachers & Child Workers Contacts
- Lawyers or Advocates
Signing up for CVM is easy!
Simply contact a social service office in your community and sign up for community voice mail at participating agencies. For a referral to one of our participating agencies or to sign up your agency for CVM, please contact the project manager please, Mario Flores, at 213.833.5031 or by email at mario@weingart.org.
In Partnership
In partnership with the Community Voice Mail National in Seattle, Washington, the Weingart Center Association serves as the only host agency for CVM services in Los Angeles County, providing voice mail numbers to our participants and to other agencies for distribution.
