Nazareth Housing Stays Connected to Advocate for New York City Homeless Population
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Michael Callaghan knows how important it is to be connected.
As executive director of Nazareth Housing, a non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter and homelessness prevention to low-income residents of New York City, Callaghan is constantly dependent on mobile technology.
“Our staff is highly mobile,” said Callaghan. “Our case managers and maintenance workers use mobile devices to conduct site visits and building safety inspections, access our management system and communicate with our clients in urgent situations.”
But in times of emergency where there may be a loss of power, Callaghan’s team can’t always depend on Wi-Fi. That’s where Ayima, a global leader in search marketing, offered to help.
Ayima provided Callaghan’s team with mobile hotspot MiFi devices, connecting them through Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network. In addition, Ayima developed a modern online presence for Nazareth Housing, which included search engine optimization (SEO) to increase the potential for online donations and increased visibility.
David Burgess, vice president of operations at Ayima, understands how critical mobile connections are in times of turmoil.
“I was personally left homeless for three weeks by Hurricane Sandy,” said Burgess. “Our offices were also flooded, so the only way I was able to continue managing our business was to head uptown and connect on a Verizon Wireless MiFi device. I saw how difficult it was for Michael and his team at Nazareth to continue helping their clients – many of whom were completely displaced – without access to a reliable mobile network.”
Now, Callaghan and his team are prepared in case of an emergency situation or even when they are working in public areas that don’t have reliable Wi-Fi.
“With mobile access, we can assess and respond to families and individuals in need, even when utilities or Internet fail. These are highly stressed populations with which we engage every day, so the ability to remain connected is critical. These MiFi devices and Verizon’s network have been a game changer for us.”