CVM Success in Summit County, Ohio

The Akron Beacon Journal has a nice article about Summit County (Ohio) Community Voice Mail, which launched last year and is doing really well. The article features Tara Strickland (pictured here), a CVM Summit client who successfully used her voice mail number to find a job, and now uses it to stay connected to people and resources that are helping her. One section from the article exemplifies the impact that a simple phone number can have:

''It has helped me out so much,'' Strickland said. ''It helps me with doctor's appointments, to keep up with my son in school in case the school needs to get in touch with me, to pass on information from the agency and for work.

''I've been called into work early several times.''

Strickland said voice mail also helped her find new housing.

''I needed a way for potential landlords to get ahold of me,'' she said. ''It helped me find an apartment. I just moved.''

For more about Community Voice Mail Summit, take a look at their web site, and a blog that is used to keep clients and social service agencies in Summit County informed about useful resources.

(Photo: Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)