2-1-1 Day on February 11

February 11 is 2-1-1 Day – a great day to recognize the free, confidential, 24-hour information and referral service that connects Lehigh Valley residents with available health and human services. In 2015, more than 3,000 calls were received from people in the Valley who turned to 2-1-1 for help and nearly 900 residents visited the 2-1-1 website at www.PA211East.org to search for local community resources.

 “This is a great resource for people in our community and it’s growing because it’s effective and it’s easy to use. People were helped with heating or utility assistance, finding the closest food bank, and services for children and seniors in our community,” said David Lewis, President of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. “Calls are also received for everyday information such as where to take a child for developmental screening, or how to locate job training or schedule free tax filing support.”

“Without 2-1-1 assistance, the average person would make numerous phone calls to many different agencies before finding what they’re looking for,” said Toni Gainer, 2-1-1 Director. “And even then, it may not be the right answer. 2-1-1 information and referral specialists are specially trained to listen, assess the situation, ask the appropriate questions, and then refer the caller directly to the human services that will address their problems.”

A Lehigh Valley mother reached out to United Way's 2-1-1 looking for substance abuse treatment programs for her child. After 2-1-1 connected her with local resources she wrote to United Way, "Sometimes people come into your life for a reason .. Don’t know what made me reach out today but I am glad. Thank you ...sometimes a parent needs to hear that they are doing all they can even when they feel unsure if they have." More impact stories can be viewed here. 

The user-friendly, three-digit 2-1-1 number is a 24 hour/seven day a week service that caters to over 100 languages. United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley has been providing referral services and funding since January 2, 2012. The national initiative was launched by United Way over 20 years ago and it now serves more than 283 million Americans—more than 90% of our population—in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. The 2-1-1 service is a national security benefit in case of an emergency such as Superstorm Sandy.

So what happens when someone calls 2-1-1? The call is routed to the regional 2-1-1 call center. It is answered by a bilingual information and referral specialist, who discerns the need, then searches a comprehensive database of relevant human service referrals. The 2-1-1 specialist then explains how to access those services, availing a translation service for over 170 different languages, if needed.
 
Here are just two examples of lives touched locally by 2-1-1:

•  A veteran recently reached out to 2-1-1 in need of housing assistance for his family. United Way’s 2-1-1 specialists were able to serve as his first point of contact so that he and his family maintained a roof over their heads.  

Although housing was the vet’s most pressing need, the specialist assessed the family situation and learned that he and his family also needed utility and food assistance. He was also connected with utility assistance programs, local food pantries, a place to apply for SNAP/Food Stamps, and how to file their taxes for free. 

•  A mother, calling from a rural area, needed help for her son. Treatment for a workplace injury had escalated into an addiction to pain medication. Her 2-1-1 specialist connected her with the substance abuse professionals he needed. She was also referred to assistance programs such as support groups for herself and her son. 

United Ways have been long-standing supporters and the national leader of the 2-1-1 movement in partnership with AIRS (Alliance of Information and Referral Services). As the largest private funder of the 2-1-1 network, United Ways continue to strengthen and support 2-1-1 as another way to build stronger communities and create opportunities for all.