Programs

The power of communication.

The sense of isolation that is endemic to homelessness is often the greatest challenge faced by people in crisis.How can someone find a job or a home if they don’t have a way to reach – or be reached by – the people and agencies that can help?

In addition, for these same individuals, information is a valuable currency. However, there is a confusing array of resources out in the world and, just because something is “on the web,” or posted on a local jobs’ board doesn’t mean it is accessible to everyone. It is therefore critical to deliver useful, timely, sharable information in a way that respects both the primarily oral culture of many people living in poverty, as well as the various new 21^st Century technologies more and more people are using.

Springwire combines these two needs to help people isolated by poverty stabilize their lives by providing free access both to communication tools in order to help them stay connected, and to the resources, support, and information they need to in order to move out of crisis.

Through the Community Voice Mail program, social service agencies provide participants with a free local phone number with voice mail, so participants can receive messages from employers, housing providers, doctors, schools, or other vital services – helping them stay connected.

The Resource Broadcasting program enables social service agencies to send out relevant, timely, local information and opportunities to Springwire participants – delivered to their personal Community Voice Mail box or via an online newsletter to their email account by a trusted voice.