Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Los Angeles CVM & Groupon

Are you one of the gazillions of people who use Groupon? Once you've signed up for discounts on a local restaurant or maybe a bungee jumping adventure, why not click on a truly great deal: donate $10 to the Los Angeles Community Voice Mail program, right from the safety and comfort of your Groupon account.

LA CVM is Groupon's featured campaign right now on the LA Groupon site, selected through the company's g-Team program. You don't have to be in Los Angeles to participate; just go to this link and sign up for the deal. Your $10 contribution will be sent by Groupon to the Weingart Center, the host of the Los Angeles CVM program. The money will help provide voice mail boxes to homeless and low-income people in Los Angeles County. It's a small amount of money that will help people get jobs, find housing, gain access to health care, and stay in touch with loved ones.

This is a great use of the Groupon platform to support a worthy cause. Get clicking!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Wanted: Community Voice Mail Love Poems

Submit a 4-8 line poem for a chance to raise $10,000 for Community Voice Mail.

The CTK Foundation is once again having a nationwide contest asking people to describe the heart of their favorite nonprofit's mission in a poem. Community Voice Mail needs your help to find the perfect poem. How would you describe the heart of Community Voice Mail's mission in 4-8 lines?

Who can submit a poem?

Anyone! To be valid, your poem entry must include your full name, phone number, city, and state. Poems must be 4-8 lines, and emailed to info@cvm.org and we invite you to perform your poem via voice mail too – just call 206-441-7872 x150 to record your poem.

Need inspiration?
Find out why Community Voice Mail is worth waxing poetic about. Visit our web site at www.cvm.org to read about our mission, and learn more about us. Go off to a quiet beautiful place. Contemplate phonelessness and what it means to get reconnected. Get friends involved. Be deep, be zany, rhyme, don't rhyme. Poetry, like Community Voice Mail, is versatile!

Previous CVM Poem Winner
There was a time I stood tall and proud
Unaware that I soon would be under a cloud

No home, no job, no family, no hope

Until CVM I just couldn’t cope

Now, once again, I stand tall and proud

“You can reach me here!” I cry out loud

The clouds will soon lift and I’ll be okay

Because, you know, I wasn’t always this way


How do I participate?
It's easy. Just email your poem along with your contact information to info@cvm.org or record by voicemail at 206-441-7872 x150 by March 23rd, 2011.

What if we win?
We will select our favorite poem and submit it as CVM's official entry. If Community Voice Mail's poem is selected by The CTK Foundation, we will receive a $10,000 grant. If the winning poem is submitted by a CVM user, staff or volunteer of a local Community Voice Mail program, the grant will be split between the CVM local host agency of the winning region and the Community Voice Mail National Office. The winning poem will become the basis of a song, written and produced by Bill Dillon for non-commercial, community education and awareness.