PROGRAM HELPS HOMELESS PEOPLE FIND JOBS
News 14 Story
RALEIGH -- It's hard to find a job or a place to live when you don't have a phone.
That's why a program called Community Voice Mail is so important to the homeless.
Richard Malloy is homeless and has been searching for a job for more than a year.
“It can be cumbersome to have an employer try to reach you through another individual while you are here at the center," he said.
Those messages can get lost and paper trails are hard to follow.
That's why Richard is so grateful for the program. (cont' at left)
Around 400 homeless people in Wake County are given their own phone number; no matter where they are they can dial in and check for messages.
He said, “Everyday several times a day I check voicemail to see if anyone has tried to touch base with me.” That's an important step towards independence.
“One of the main things to move back to self sufficiency is to be able to communicate all those needs , jobs, housing, childcare for a lot of people as well as employment and medical needs,” Carson Dean of the Wake County Human Services explained.
The free program isn't just about communication.
Dean, the director of the South Wilmington Street center, said it's about eliminating the stigma that comes with being homeless.
“Employers aren't able to discriminate against you because you are in a homeless shelter this eliminates the perception of it happening,” Dean added.
Wake County Human Services is the only host site in North Carolina for Community Voicemail.
As the host, it helps 19 different agencies in our area access the program. It's not just used by the homeless.
Free voicemail is also given to the unemployed as well as some low-income families.
12/23/2005 1:37 PM
By: Gretchen Bartelt & Web Staff
News 14 Carolina
