2-1-1 is a free, nation-wide three digit phone number anyone can call to access health and human service assistance from within their community. The confidential service is available 24/7, and connects callers with a trained specialist who will help locate appropriate services which could include food banks, homeless shelters, mental health support, and more.
The free resource was brought to life in 2008 when St. Joseph County only had one referral program which, according to Executive Director of St. Joseph County United Way Kelly Hostetler, was a “very long 800 number.” Hostetler worked with the county commission and, with the help of many private donors, 2-1-1 was made available to the county.
The phone service is a data-based program, meaning 2-1-1 collects data from nonprofits or programs in the county, and disperses that information to callers. “It’s only as good as the information going in is, just like any good software,” Hostetler told Watershed Voice. “If you put good information in, you get good information out.” She said as long as 2-1-1 has all the data from local agencies, the specialists are able to refer people in the most precise way.
Hostetler gave an example of how collecting local data is beneficial and necessary to the program saying, “If somebody is reading your article and they have an auto repair shop that will help low-income people with auto repairs, we need to know about that at 2-1-1 because, for a lot of people, that is the larger expense for a family.”
When someone places a call to 2-1-1 they first go into a queue and are then transferred to a live technician. That specialist has been trained to ask specific questions in order to help the caller locate services they might not even be aware they need. Examples of information available through 2-1-1 include shelter and housing options, services for veterans, addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs, re-entry help for ex-offenders, and a confidential path out of emotional or physical domestic abuse.
“The technicians are also able to access the State of Michigan database, meaning if there’s a State of Michigan program — not just a county program — they have access to that data, and they can tell the caller about it, as well,” Hostetler said.
In 2022 there were 14,491 calls made to 2-1-1 from residents of Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties, according to United Way’s website. Berrien County had the highest, with 11,991 phone calls placed. Among the top requests for assistance last year were disaster-related drinking water, food assistance, utilities assistance, housing assistance, and COVID-19 information. Hostetler confirmed this statistic, and told Watershed Voice utility and housing assistance is the most common service requested.
According to Hostetler, 2-1-1 costs roughly $10,000 a year to be operational, which is paid for through donations and private donors who are “passionate about the program and wanting to help.” She invites anyone who wants to be involved or support the service to share data or make donations to the United Way, being sure to tag it for 2-1-1.
“It doesn’t matter where you live in the United States, 2-1-1 is accessible wherever you are,” Hostetler said. “It’s really a wonderful, wonderful program in place to help a lot of people, and it’s just a free phone call.”
Beca Welty is a staff writer and columnist for Watershed Voice.
