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.”

Robin, a guy who has a self-proclaimed ‘dirty past’, is trying to turn his life around. Imagine finally having the desire, but not the resources, to do so. It can be disheartening when seemingly small stumbling blocks, like not having a phone number, prevent someone from obtaining his goals.

Robin was moving from mission to shelter so he would have a roof over his head while looking for work and a place to live. Finding a job and housing proved challenging because Robin didn’t have money for a cell phone, and thus no way for businesses or property managers to contact him.

The Community Voice Mail program, offered by the Weingart Center Association (WCA) through its Access Center, provides free, 24-hour voice mail accounts for homeless and low-income individuals and families. This service has become a lifeline for Robin, and has directly led to him obtaining housing and employment. “I was looking for work but it was hard without a number to give,” says Robin. A few weeks after signing up for the Community Voice Mail program, Robin signed with a temporary agency which found him a temp-to-hire job. “Having this voicemail is what allowed me to get this clerical job, and I really love it,” states Robin.

Having a Community Voice Mail account also enabled Robin to receive the message that he had gotten emergency housing so he would no longer have to move from shelter to shelter, and in a month, Robin is planning to move into his own SRO apartment.

On a more personal level, Robin has also been able to keep in contact with his family through his voice mail account. Robin’s family knows his current ‘situation’ and understands that he has been going through a tough period, but they’ve had no way of contacting him. “Sometimes my family didn’t know if I was alive or dead," admits Robin, "but with this voice mail number they can contact me."

I was alive or dead,” admits Robin, “but with this voice mail number they can contact me by leaving me a message and know I’ll get it, and I can call them back.” The Community Voice Mail program was created specifically for people like Robin, who want to be productive members of society but just need a little help. “I’m really thankful there was a service out there like this for me,” concludes Robin.