Now that I'm visiting "the spot," what is Community Voice Mail?

Connection Plus Service= Far Reaching Results.

Community Voice Mail is a resource tool that helps people in need to stay connected. Based on a simple premise, the results can be far reaching. People need to remain connected with the outside world, regardless of their current status of being defined as homeless, or as someone in crisis. Some clients use Community Voice Mail (CVM) to stay in touch with family, potential employers, case workers, and others who can assist them with moving forward to meet their goals. If a user is in transition, a stable number can even allow him or her to hear good news, such as a housing update. The uses for CVM also span as far as proving to serve as a safe number, for victims of domestic violence, runaways, and others in crisis. Founded in 1993, in Seattle Washington, Community Voice Mail has proven to help countless individuals to regain confidence and self-sufficiency.

Interested parties may identify a participating local agency, then follow described procedures to obtain a free number. Resources and specific information will be posted in your spot--a community spot that will serve as a portal of information for individuals living in the DC area. After a client is enrolled in CVM, he or she can access private, personal messages, using any phone to check to see if a caller has indeed left a message. Those who also sign up with an email address enjoy an added benefit of email alerts to signal that messages are waiting. You may also note that no one will know that the number is a free service, by placing a call. It sounds like any other voice mail number, allowing the user to retain the dignity that he or she deserves.

A rather unique feature of the service is also being able to hear broadcast messages, which may range from public health announcements, to job fair information. If you have local event news to share with those in need, or there's a message that you would like posted and shared with those in our network, please don't hesitate to contact us. CVM and AmeriCorps have partnered together to provide this service to the community at large. We are committed to helping to support those who need the service, in addition to other non-profit organizations who would like to network with us. Together, we all can build a connected community. Together, we can watch phone lines turn into life lines. To read more information about Community Voice Mail's national office, please visit http://www.cvm.org/. You may also visit http://communityvoicemail.blogspot.com/. Please pardon our dust as we build your community spot. More information is forthcoming.