Updated 07-16-2023 Quesons, contact Admins @ ParishPlus.com p.1
Using Google Voice for an SVdP Helpline
Overview
This approach for an SVdP helpline uses a personal Google (GMail) account for your conference. Google
allows you to select a phone number for this Google account using Google Voice. This will be your
conference helpline phone number, which Neighbors can call to leave messages. There is no cost for the
Google account or the associated phone number. This document describes the setup process.
How Does it Work?
When a neighbor leaves a voice (or text) message on your conference phone number, Google Voice
emails a nocaon for that message. The email nocaon includes the Neighbor’s caller-ID phone
number, a transcripon of the message they le, and a “PLAY MESSAGE” buon you can click to listen to
the message. The email nocaon is sent to your Google account’s email, which will forward the
message to an email group consisng of all of your helpline volunteers.
Let’s Do This … Google Account Creaon
Search online for “Create a Google account”, and follow the direcons to create a personal account (not
a business account). Below are a few suggesons for naming the account, but you decide what is best
for your conference.
First name: SVdP Helpline (parish) (city) … such as “SVdP Helpline Prince of Peace Plano”
Last name: (leave blank)
Gmail address: SVdP(parish)Help … such as “SV[email protected]”
Password: (make it secure, but recallable, as members will be using it)
SECURITY NOTE: Keep this Google account secure, as it will contain messages from possibly
vulnerable Neighbors with personal informaon and a descripon of their needs. If a bad-actor
obtained access to these messages, they could set up targeted scams to take advantage of the
Neighbors.
Geng a Google Voice Number for Your Helpline
Log into your conference Google account. In your browser address-bar, enter
“voice.google.com” and you should be taken to a page allowing you to select a phone number.
If there are no numbers available for your immediate area codes, wait a few days to search
again, as the supply of numbers gets refreshed occasionally. If you can’t wait, you can search
for a number outside your area.
Aer selecng a number, Google will ask you for a vericaon number to use on the account.
It’s best to use the phone number of a helpline volunteer who is willing and able to be
responsible for the Google Voice account. Google will send a vericaon code to this number,
which you will need to enter. Upon compleng the vericaon, the phone number you selected
will be available to use for your helpline.
Updated 07-16-2023 Quesons, contact Admins @ ParishPlus.com p.2
Seng up Google Voice
Now that you have a helpline phone number, it’s me to set it up to receive messages, nofy
your helpline volunteers of new messages, and allow your volunteers to check the messages.
These instrucons assume you are seng this number up so callers will always leave a message
(message-only), and no one will directly answer the helpline phone number in real-me. Below
is a visual descripon of the setup, using the actual Google Voice Sengs screens. Instrucons
and comments are in red.
The “My Devices”
section lists the devices
registered to the
account, and which
could answer calls for
the GV number. The
section shouldn’t
matter, since the
account is being set up
as a message-only
number which will not
ring anywhere, and will
not be answered
directly.
Keep “Do not disturb” turned ON.
This will send callers straight to
voicemail when they call.
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Add the phone
numbers of your six
most frequent helpline
volunteers to this
“Linked Numbers” list.
Linked numbers are
essentially numbers
pre-approved for
calling/logging into the
voicemail. If you call
to log into the
voicemail from a
number on this list,
you will only be
prompted for the PIN.
If you call to log into
the voicemail from a
number NOT on this
list, you will be
prompted to enter one
of the 10-digit numbers
from this list, and then
the PIN.
Google limits you to
six linked numbers.
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This should be turned
on, so message
notifications will be
sent to this account’s
email, which will, in
turn, forward the
message to your
helpline email group.
Leave
both of
these
turned
off
This is the same list of
devices from “My
Devices” section,
above.
All of these devices
should be turned off in
this section, since you
don’t want calls to be
answered directly.
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This is the same list of
numbers from “Linked
Numbers” section,
above.
All of these should be
turned off in this
section, since you don’t
want calls to be
forwarded to anyone’s
phone number
specifically.
No need to set this up.
None of these
should be
turned on.
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This is where you set up the greeting your callers
will hear when they call. You can set up multiple
greetings (primary, closed for holiday weekend,
etc.), and change between them under “Manage all
greetings”. The two best methods to record your
greetings are either (a) call to log into the
voicemail and select the option to record the
greeting, or (b) from a computer logged into Google
Voice, use the “Record…” button at left.
Turn this on so message notifications
will be sent via email.
Turn this on so message notifications
will include a transcription of the
message.
Turn this on so helpline volunteers can call to check
messages. Set up a PIN to secure the mailbox.
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Ignore this section.
There are no payments to
be concerned about.
Leave this turned off unless SPAM calls or texts
become a problem. Turning it on runs the risk
that a message from a Neighbor in need would be
filtered out as SPAM.
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Set up Message Nocaon Forwarding
When a caller leaves a message, a message nocaon will be sent to the email address for the
conference Google account. In order for your helpline volunteers to receive these nocaons,
the Gmail part of your account must be congured to forward the messages to an email group
(distribuon list/DL).
Helpline Email Group: To request the helpline email group, email the ParishPlus.com
administrators at Support @ ParishPlus.com, lisng the email address of each helpline volunteer
who should receive the message nocaons. They will set up the email group for you to use,
and will reply with the name of the email group so you can use it for the rest of this setup.
Now, let’s set up your Gmail account to forward the messages.
The Gmail window for your account will appear.
Now set up the helpline email group as an approved forwarding address.
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A conrmaon email will be sent to your helpline email group. Presuming your personal email is
included in that email group, open a new browser tab, go to your personal email, nd the conrmaon
email that was sent, and follow the direcons to conrm the request. This will approve the helpline
email group to be used as a forwarding desnaon.
Go back to your conference Gmail account setup to nish conguring the message nocaon
forwarding. Now you’ll set up an email lter to look for message nocaon emails and forward them
to the helpline email group. This lter will look for emails from Google Voice with the subject line
starng with “New voicemail from”, and forward those to the helpline email group.
Updated 07-16-2023 Quesons, contact Admins @ ParishPlus.com p.10
Text Nocaon: You should also set up a lter to be noed if a Neighbor texts your helpline
phone number. Set up another lter using the process above, but with the subject line “New
text message from”, and with the “From” line of the lter blank.
