Free voice mail offered to those without phones, homes

DEFIANCE — Lack of phone service can be a surefire way to lose a job before you’ve applied, especially in this economy.

It’s one reason a group of advocates worked to provide free voice mail service for people without homes or phone service in their homes.

The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, Leader Technologies Inc., and the Ohio Benefit Bank unveiled the service for people in the 419 area code.

“You can’t call from this number, but you can create your own greeting and people can contact you in an anonymous way,” said Counsel spokesman Marty Berkowitz. “Our partners in social service agencies tell us so many times someone without phone service won’t get a job. This can help get someone on their feet.”

Leader Voice Mail provides a way to be contacted by potential employers, find a place to live or maintain contact with family, medical services and social service agencies. It can provide a domestic violence victim a secure place to receive messages or help people with prepaid cell phones save minutes, Berkowitz said.

People who live in Allen, Ashland, Auglaize, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Mercer, Morrow, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties can use the service.

Users can contact social service agencies in their communities to establish phone numbers unique to them at which others can leave messages. Users retrieve messages by calling a toll-free number or using the Internet on a computer with speakers.

Leader created the pilot program in Northwest Ohio to help broaden interest in technology it created, Web-based voice mail retrieval.