Despite the prevalence of homelessness, it’s an issue many people look away from every day. To break through the barrier of invisibility and compel people to act, MLF enlisted the help of Danny, who has been living on the streets of Austin for 15 years, along with his wheelchair-bound wife Maggie, to participate in the “I Am Here” kickoff event.

On April 27-28, Danny’s situation is being raised – literally – to a level no one can ignore. Along with MLF founder Alan Graham, Danny will be on a 50-foot high Reagan Outdoor billboard at Woodland and I-35 in Austin at select times throughout the 48-hour period.

The billboard features a prominent mobile giving call to action. Texting “Danny” to 20222 provides a $10 donation to help get Danny and his wife into a home through MLF’s Habitat on Wheels program. Just 1,200 text messages will get Danny and Maggie off the streets, into their own home and on the way to a new life. The billboard also drives people to the campaign site, www.iamheremlf.org.

This event kicks off an ongoing effort to provide homes to as many homeless men and women as possible. Each time the 1,200 message threshold is reached a home will be purchased and a life will be changed.

The “I Am Here” project is a collaborative effort between MLF, marketing firm T3, and Reagan Outdoor Advertising. T3 is responsible for the creative concept and manages MLF’s text donations through the Mobile Giving Foundation. The kickoff event is brought to life through a partnership with Reagan, who donated the outdoor billboard space.

“We realized right away the powerful impact that mobile giving could have on the Mobile Loaves & Fishes organization,” said Ben Gaddis, T3’s director of mobile and emerging technology. “The partnership is a perfect match, allowing us to leverage our expertise in marketing and the mobile sector to benefit a cause we deeply believe in.”

“Our mission is about empowering people to help,” says Graham. “So what if all those people who were afraid to acknowledge a homeless person, or just didn’t know how to help, could send a text donation? They’d be empowered to act, right there in the moment. That’s pretty powerful stuff.”

In addition to the outdoor component, the “I Am Here” campaign is comprised of print advertisements, a public service announcement, a Web site, video and mobile. The primary call to action is to text “MLF” to 20222 to donate and to visit www.iamheremlf.org. The site provides more information about MLF, Danny and Maggie’s story and how the “I Am Here” project came together.

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES

Mobile Loaves & Fishes was founded in 1998 in Austin, TX by Alan Graham and five volunteers. Alan’s mission was lofty, but the vision and execution were simple: provide food, clothing and dignity to the homeless and working poor. The first trip hand-delivered 75 sack lunches. Twelve years later, there are 15 MLF commissaries in seven cities across the nation filling thousands of empty stomachs from the beds of Ford pick-up catering trucks every night. Most recently, MLF is now taking the homeless off the streets through their Habitat on Wheels (HOW) program: a cost-efficient housing model that puts the homeless into RVs.

For more information about MLF, visit www.mlfnow.org.

T3

T3, an agency with offices in Austin, New York and San Francisco, specializes in innovative marketing campaigns that cut across all media channels. As a collaborative think tank, T3 works with clients including ConocoPhillips Lubricants, Facebook, Intel, JCPenney, John Deere, JPMorgan Chase, Livescribe, Marriott Vacation Club, Microsoft, Oriental Trading Company, Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, Universal and UPS.

Founded by CEO Gay Gaddis in 1989, T3 is independent and the largest advertising agency wholly owned by a woman in the United States. T3 ranks among ADWEEK’s Top 100 Agencies and Advertising Age's Top 100 U.S. Marketing Services Agencies lists.

For more information about T3, visit www.t-3.com.

REAGAN OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

Founded in 1965 by Bill Reagan Sr., Reagan Outdoor Advertising leverages strength through outdoor advertising, utilizing connections with people to help increase awareness of goods and services. Currently serving the Utah, Nevada and Central Texas markets, Reagan helps reinforce brands through daily and repeated exposure.

For more information about Reagan Outdoor Advertising, visit www.reaganoutdoor.com.