Please help us ask your local elected official to support The Calling for 2-1-1 Act.
Read United Way’s position on 2-1-1
Millions of Americans need help every day – from locating financial assistance during a family crisis, to finding adequate care for an aging parent, or searching for the highest-quality child care. 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember phone number that quickly connects those in need to critical community resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Last year, the Rochester area 2-1-1 center answered more than 117, 230 calls. This year the call center is seeing a spike in calls as a result of the economic downturn. Despite this increase in demand though, 2-1-1 lacks the funding needed to ensure that everyone has access to this important resource.
Legislation (S211 and HR211) has been introduced at the Federal level that would provide $700 million in matching grants over six years to support 2-1-1 nationwide. In doing so, it would:
- award a grant to each state to establish a program or fund an existing program that will make 2-1-1 service available to all residents with phone service.
- mandate recipients to collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services for people in need.
For more information about 2-1-1- in our community, click here.