Google Dials Up Free Phone Numbers, Voicemail For SF Homeless
Project CARE was created in April 2006 by GrandCentral Communications, which Google acquired in July 2007. As of last August, the initiative had provided more than 5,000 phone numbers and served close to 100,000 voicemail messages to Bay Area residents.
"We're firm believers in the power of technology to improve the daily lives of individuals and communities as a whole, and we recognize that access to phone and voicemail services is one way that GrandCentral can help San Francisco's homeless stay connected with family, friends, social workers, health care providers, and potential employers," wrote Craig Walker, a senior product manager at Google, on the company's corporate blog.
On Thursday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced plans to give every homeless person in San Francisco a local phone number and voicemail account through Project CARE.
Google launched a Web site where homeless shelters and agencies across the city could create new accounts. Project CARE staff also plan to visit shelters to educated staff and homeless residents about the system, according to Walker.
"While we're excited to bring this technology to our local Bay Area community, our ultimate goal is to provide these invaluable services to cities and shelters across the country," Walker wrote.