Google Inc. has set up a charity to help the homeless in San Francisco by offering free phone and voicemail services. The new project is a collaboration between the recent Google acquisition, Grand Central, and the San Francisco Mayor’s Office.
Project CARE, as the new plan is called, is intended to improve the situations of people living on the streets in San Francisco. The Google contribution will provide homeless individuals with free phone services to enable them to stay in touch with family and friends, and also provide a free phone number and computerized voice mail service for each individual.
This last point is critical because many homeless people find it impossible to get a job and get off the streets without having a valid phone number. Another critical part of Project CARE is getting the homeless instant access to health care providers. The services will be provided at city-owned homeless shelters, as well as private and charitable foundation shelters.
The vision for project CARE is to begin in San Francisco, and quickly spread throughout the country, focusing first on large metropolitan areas which tend to have greater homeless populations. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Google’s contribution was “an extraordinary step forward in the city’s commitment to a comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of this vulnerable community.”
Of course, the primary concern of all homeless advocates is to get individuals off the streets, and into a safe home environment. But until that time, the homeless are certainly much better off having access to free phone services and voicemail, as well as the ability to contact health-care providers and social workers at a moments notice.
While the new project CARE is certainly not going to end homelessness in San Francisco, it is a useful step forward, and provides individuals with the ability to stay connected to family, friends, social workers, health-care providers and law enforcement. One of the biggest challenges for the homeless is the lack of communication with the outside world. Without access to a phone, voicemail and these types of services, they can become increasingly isolated and vulnerable on the streets.
It’s good to see Google taking a charitable step in this direction, and providing services in their area of expertise. Financially, Google has been nothing short of a powerhouse, and has seen skyrocketing profits over the past several years. Hopefully, the company will live up to their corporate motto, “don’t be evil,” by using their considerable clout to develop real solutions for some of the problems facing humanity.
Related Business Directory Categories:
