Wonderful Video (that has nothing to do with homelessness)

I've tried to think of something about homelessness or "phonelessness" or the work of Community Voice Mail that I can directly relate to this really creative video by the band OK Go, but I can't right now (can you?). It was added to YouTube in March, and has now been viewed 11 million times, so it may be ancient history to many of you, but I hope you enjoy it. I did.

Brilliant! Homeless Video Installation in NYC

Pathways to Housing, a nonprofit in New York City that is provides housing and mental health services to the homeless, have come up with a really innovative way to highlight the issue of homelessness and encourage people to take immediate action. They are projecting video images of a homeless person lying on the street, along with words that asks pedestrians to use their cell phones to send a text message that will help the homeless man get shelter. You send the text message, and the "virtual homeless person" gets up and goes through a door to housing. You then receive a text message in return, giving you a the opportunity to donate via return text message (something you may have experienced in response to the Haiti earthquake or other big emergencies). Pretty innovative way to attract attention to the cause. There are 40,000 homeless people in New York.

A short video about the project is below. According to an article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, during one week, 200 people sent text messages and 30 follow-up with a donation via text message. If you're in New York, you can find out where the video projection will be from night to night on the Pathways Facebook page.

Go check it out. Give the virtual person a home, and then donate to make sure that a real homeless person gets a safe place to live.



If you'd like to experience

Navigating the Social Service Safety Net

Mark Horvath today introduces us to Jay, a man in Cleveland who lost his job, lost his home to foreclosure, and has been homeless for the past two years. Horvath has himself experience homelessness, and he is perhaps best known for recording short video interviews with homeless people around the county. He often asks the people he's interviewing what their three wishes are, and the responses are always thoughtful, beautiful, and obvious (in a "of course, how simple!" sort of way).

Jay's three wishes are my favorite of the series. Listen to the end...

Jay from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.

Tulsa Community Voice Mail - in the News

KOTV (Tulsa, OK) has a nice news story about the Tulsa Community Voice Mail program, featuring our own Lori Morton (Tulsa CVM Manager). Watch the clip by clicking on the image, or read the transcript below.

Voicemail Service Keeps Homeless Connected

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A local program is helping Tulsa's homeless connect with a better life. It's something many people take for granted, but it's offering messages of hope to hundreds.

When Christine ended up at the Day Center for the Homeless, she says she didn't just lose her home. She felt disconnected from her life.

"When you don't communicate with people - you can't communicate with people -it's like being blind and deaf at the same time. It's hard to find your way. And it's hard to get your needs met," said Christine.

Christine needed a phone - to get a job, to find a home, to get out. But she couldn't afford it, and the Day Center line wasn't always the best option.

"People don't want to call somewhere where they have to page you, where you may or may not be there. You may or may not hear your name being called," she said.

That's when she found out about community voicemail. It's a free service that gives folks a phone number with a personalized voice mail that they can check from anywhere.

"They could get a job or stay in touch with their doctors. Or put their name on a list for housing. Because you can't have those opportunities, if people can't reach you," said Lori Morton, Day Center program manager.

Morton says more than 900 people are checking their community voicemail every day, and the program's so successful, it's won a national award.

"As a result we've been able to capture over 660 successful outcomes - goals being met - as a result of having that connection," Morton said.

"Community voicemail is a blessing," Christine, a community voicemail user, said.

Christine says with community voice mail, she was out of the shelter in less than a month and into a home of her own.

"But it gives you hope, absolutely. And it gives you a way out of a place that seems like there's no way out," she said.

Organizers say the program cost about $80,000 dollars a year, and they get much of their funding from the Schusterman Foundation