16,000 People Called 2-1-1 in Its First Year, Financial Assistance Tops the List of Needs

Services such as the United Way’s 2-1-1 call line become especially important during bouts of bad wintry weather like the Philadelphia area has experienced lately.

The 2-1-1 call line (and online database) celebrated its one year anniversary on February 11, which was also National 2-1-1 Awareness Day.

“Everyday in this community people are in need of essential health and human services, regardless of their income,” said Wendy David, associate vice president of engagement, capacity building & 2-1-1 at United Way. “A lot of the time people don’t know where to start to look for help, they’re so overwhelmed… so that’s where 2-1-1 comes in.”

The free and easy-to-remember number has provided answers and information to 16,000 callers over the past year, with the most frequent inquiry concerning temporary finance assistance. David said that another frequent need was utility assistance, especially when there’s a harsh winter.

SEPA also provides a Storm Response and Recovery Guide to provide information about storm safety as well as information about warming centers, shelters and charging stations for immediate needs. New updates on the guide can be found in the latest news section of their database. During these types of situations, people tend to flood 911 for non-emergency situations. David noted that it’s important to inform people that the 2-1-1 line connects them to the resources available during emergencies.

“We were able to get the word out to those local communities [affected by the ice storm] and make them aware that 2-1-1 is there,” she added.

In addition, information collected from the 2-1-1 calls are used to identify prevalent or emerging community needs, such as a need for collaborative disaster planning efforts which connect nonprofits to local government and public safety.

Nonprofits and other organizations can add or update their information on the 2-1-1 database here.

(Image courtesy of United Way Worldwide)