Interesting article here on a Seattle-based organization called Community Voice Mail that provides free voice mail to homeless and “phoneless” people.

“The intangible that Community Voice Mail provides is hope,” said national spokeswoman Patricia Bonnell. “No one e-mails you to tell you you’ve got the job. They call you. Without a phone number on your resume, you can’t get a job.”

Serving 37 cities in 19 states, CVM officials say they helped more than 47,000 people find jobs and housing last year. Helped by a $2.5 million grant from Cisco, they hope to expand into all 50 states.

Do I need to explain why I think this is so cool? OK, then. (1) Private organization (i.e., not a gov’t agency), (2) helping needy people solve their own problems and get jobs, housing, medical care, etc. That is, if you don’t want a job, aren’t looking for help, aren’t trying to get back on your feet, then who needs to call you? But if you are trying to get out of the hole, how do you do it without a phone? So CVM, a relatively small organization, is making a very large impact in a lot of people’s lives by focusing on solutions rather than the problems.