The Big Issue Challenge Helps One Homeless Woman Off The Streets

This is how The Big Issue’s Emma O’Halloran set the agenda for the day during the keynote - 100 subscriptions by the end of the day and one woman would no longer be homeless.

Kayleigh Kahlefeldt set the scene for this challenge last month in her blog, What Women Need to Know About The Big Issue, and it is worth reading to better understand the confronting correlation between homelessness, drugs and domestic abuse - which adds yet another complexity to this terrible problem. To have the chance to help someone out of that vicious cycle is certainly one of the more satisfying opportunities of my career.

Put simply, the Salesforce Foundation 1:1:1 model is an integrated philanthropic model that seeks to “leverage 1% of the company’s product, equity and time to improve communities around the world.” As Leyla Seka, SVP Salesforce, succinctly reminded the keynote audience, Salesforce believes that:

Organisations are responsible for making the world a better place. Leyla Seka

The Salesforce partnership with The Big Issue is end-to-end and they receive assistance from all three components of the model - Salesforce technology powers the Big Issue Call Centre in which the new employee would sit, while Salesforce funding and Salesforce volunteers also support the Centre. What’s even better is that as well as giving the opportunity for employment to one woman to help her off the streets, the 100 subscriptions mean there’s one more person fighting the scourge of homelessness.

To reach the target was like chasing down a big score in the Cricket World Cup. Progress was steady throughout the day but we were always nervous about whether we could make it to the finish line. As the day went on, supporters used social media to encourage delegates to pitch in and help.

Meanwhile in the Salesforce Foundation Zone of the Cloud Expo a steady flow of volunteers joined The Big Issue staff to help process the subscriptions.

But at about 4pm our star player got involved. The Zuora team took out a business subscription of 10 thanks to the involvement of Bob Frati, SVP of Commercial Sales across APAC, Salesforce.

From that moment on the momentum picked up and by the time delegates hit the Cloud Expo Hall for networking drinks at “stumps”, we had blown the target away with 150 subscriptions - half way to helping yet another woman put homelessness behind her.

Of course our support for The Big Issue wasn’t just about a one day challenge. We’ll continue throughout the year to partner with The Big Issue in alignment with our 1:1:1 model. Please watch this video and consider whether you can help us finish the job on the second 100 subscriptions and help another woman off the streets and fighting homelessness.

Interested in signing up for your own subscription or learning more about how The Big Issue Subscription Centre is improving the lives of homeless women? Click here for more information!