Kudos to Google for expanding their already existing program, which had begun in 2006 with then independent startup GrandCentral, acquired by Google last year.GrandCentral, as you may know, is a service that gives you "One Number ... for Life." It centralizes all your different phone numbers into one, and will ring one or more phones ... or go directly to voicemail ... based on rules you set up. You can even set up specific voicemail messages for selected callers.
The original program had GrandCentral working with S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom's Project Homeless Connect, and has given out more than 4,000 "for life" phone numbers and voicemail accounts. The new program will partner directly with homeless shelters, which will be able to give out GrandCentral accounts and help individuals set up their accounts.
Some have criticized this as a PR stunt. Well, yeah, but what's wrong with that? It's obviously a gimmick to draw attention to GrandCentral, but despite what people may think, it does help the homeless.
How, you may ask? Why would a homeless person need a phone number and voicemail when they don't even have a home?
Most of us take phone numbers for granted. But without a phone number it's difficult to get a job - and it's also hard to get one low-income housing waiting list. Dropping all the practical matters, and going sentimental: can you imagine what a joy it might be to get a message from a loved one?
Google hopes to take the service to other cities in the future.
Yeah, it's not totally altruistic. Yeah, it would be better if we could somehow figure out how to get the homeless off the streets, particularly since while veterans comprise 11% of the U.S. population, they make up 25% of the homeless. But gimmick or not, this is a fine example of Google's motto "Don't be evil," or rather "Do some good."
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