Our 2009 Annual Report

Community Voice Mail has become a trusted voice for isolated people who are in need of timely, helpful and encouraging information. Together with our local partners, we inspire our clients to persist and rebuild. In turn, they inspire us with their strength and gratitude.

The Community Voice Mail 2009 Annual Report has just been released. Entitled "Communication Matters," it's a nice snapshot of what we (our sites, our agencies, our clients) accomplished last year. Take a look!

And if you like what you see and want to do more, you can

• Make a donation
• Sign up for our e-newsletter
• Tell your friends where we work
• Contact us, or
• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and SecondLife

But most importantly, the next time you see or meet someone experiencing homelessness, stop and talk to them. And ask them if they have a reliable phone number to stay connected.

Unemployment Among Recent Veterans

Military Times reports today that the unemployment rate among recent veterans (those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 2001) is rising, and still higher than the unemployment rate for all veterans. In July, the rate for these recent veterans was 11.8%, while the rate for all veterans was 8.4%. The overall unemployment rate in the U.S. for July was 9.5%.

According to another article in the Wall Street Journal, 25 to 29-year olds make up 39% of unemployed Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, and the unemployment rate for this group is 14.9%. Many recent veterans from these wars are returning to the U.S. with traumatic brain injuries and other service-related injuries that make it difficult or impossible to work. These veterans are also returning to a country with a struggling economy and little or no job growth. With combat operations in Iraq ending this month, and the promised withdrawal of all ground troops by the end of next year, there will be a lot of veterans looking for work in the coming years.

Kudos to U.S. Senator Patty Murray (Washington State), sponsor of the Veterans Employment Act (S. 3234), which is designed to improve employment options and opportunities for veterans, and especially focused on transition programs so that returning veterans can move from the military directly into jobs. This bill has made it out of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and will now go to the full Senate for consideration.

We serve a lot of veterans here at Community Voice Mail; they make up 11% of our total client population. We're not yet seeing many of the younger veterans from Iraq or Afghanistan asking for our services, but I fear we may in the future. Most of our veteran clients are Vietnam-era or perhaps Desert Storm/Desert Sheild; 62% of our vets are 45-59, while only 28% are 26-44 and 2% are 18-25. 28% have told us they're disabled, and 8.5% are women. 86% our of veteran clients list an employment goal when they first get their CVM number. 55% identify as homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

Too many veterans need our services...

Photo credit: Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal

Time-lapse Unemployment Map

Scary time-lapse map showing unemployment rates in U.S. counties between January 2007 and May 2010. See how quickly the economy changed for a lot of people.

(YouTube version here, but it's not as good).

VA Sec. Shinseki on Homeless Veterans

In the video below, Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki talks about homelessness among veterans, and how the VA is working to end it in the next five years. I was particularly struck by his description of "two images" of veterans: one is of those who served their country on high-performing teams in very difficult and dangerous circumstances; the other is of the 131,000 veterans who are homeless in the U.S.. He said the VA's goal is to make sure that the second image doesn't define the veterans who embody the first image. An eloquent, thoughtful person, and we hope he and the rest of the VA (and our country) is successful.

New Blog for Washington, DC CVM

The Washington, DC CVM program has just launched (or rather, re-launched) its blog. Look for regular postings about jobs, job fairs, events and other resources in DC. Most of the information posted there is also being sent to DC CVM clients via broadcast voice message and email message (for those clients who have given us their email addresses). If you're a CVM client and you forget to save your voice message, check out the blog!

The DC CVM program is now being co-hosted by 5 local DC agencies in partnership with the CVM National office. If you live in the DC area and are in need of free voice mail, you can contact the following agencies:

Bread for the City:
For SE DC referrals call Lynda Brown at (202) 561-0531.
For NW DC referrals call Julia Eddy at (202) 386-7018 to make a referral.

N Street Village: accepts only female clients.
Call Ann McCreedy at (202) 939-2070 to make a referral.

Friendship Place:
Please call Martina Wright at 202-364-1419 ext 14 to make a referral.

Ida Mae Campbell Wellness & Resource Center: The Center will set aside 10 phone numbers for individuals that are not members of the Center. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12PM-8PM and Saturday, 11AM-3PM
Please contact Gail Banks at 202-684-7015 to make a referral

La Casa (a program of DC Coalition for the Homeless): for clients already connected to programs within the DC Coalition for the Homeless.
Please call Lorraine Garcia at (202) 882-1237 x303 to make a referral.

New Resource for Homeless Veterans

The VA has created a new resource for veterans in the U.S. who may be experiencing homelessness. The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans is a 24-hour toll-free number for homeless or at-risk veterans who may benefit from local VA homeless programs and mental health services. Trained VA counselors will answer the phone, conduct a brief screen to assess your needs, and connect you with the Homeless Point of Contact at the nearest VA facility. If you're calling on behalf of a homeless veteran, you'll be given information about VA programs in your area.

If you're a homeless veteran, a friend/family member of one, or working with a veteran who is experiencing homelessness, call 1-877-4AID VET (877-424-3838). This is a toll-free call, and a free and confidential service.

You can read more about the call center here, and learn more about VA programs for homeless veterans here . You can hear the broadcast voice message we sent to our clients in New York City (around the country) here. If you call the Call Center and are willing to share your experience, please do so in the comments. Thanks.

Pittsburgh CVM in the News

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a nice article today about the Pittsburgh Community Voice Mail program, which is hosted in that city by Travelers Aid. In the article, Katie Shogan (CVM Manager in Pittsburgh) talks about the program:

"Community Voice Mail is available to anybody going through a crisis or a major transition," said Katie Shogan, program manager for the free service.

Fully 90 percent of the people who have signed up say they are using Community Voice Mail as part of their job-seeking efforts, Ms. Shogan said. Other reasons for enrolling include apartment hunting, 82 percent; keeping in touch with health-care providers, 78 percent; and communicating with social services agencies, 61 percent.

Two-thirds of those who have signed up for the Pittsburgh-area program are male. More than 40 percent are between the ages of 26 and 44.

More than half, 56 percent, are homeless, and another 14 percent say they are at risk of losing their present accommodations. About 42 percent are unemployed, and 20 percent are disabled.

"Community Voice Mail offers them a means to be connected again," Ms. Shogan said. "If you are trying to find a job or a house or stay in touch with your doctor, it's important to have a voice mail box. If you can't be called back, you can miss out on some great opportunities."

And, a Pittsburgh CVM client talks about how she received her CVM number and how she's using it:

Ms. McMillan signed up for Community Voice Mail at the recommendation of counselors at the Mon Valley Initiative, a nonprofit coalition of community and economic development groups.

A 1976 graduate of Duquesne High School, she has worked for a variety of social service agencies and businesses over the years. Seeking retraining, she recently completed a computer-skills class. She hopes to find a new job in any of several fields, including administrative assistant, data-entry clerk or environmental technician.

"Access to voice mail is one of the keys to finding gainful employment," she said. "I'm grateful to have it."

She also hopes that the free voice-mail service will help her in her hunt for a new apartment. She was burned out of her home earlier this month.

A fairly typical client, using this simple tool as she strives to improve her situation. Not having a reliable phone number is an impediment to people who are motivated to change their lives.