RSS Feed
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dial 2-1-1 for community services United Way of Southwest Alabama recently unveiled United Way 2-1-1. This easy-to-remember telephone number connects residents with important community services and volunteer opportunities offered by 55 United Way partner agencies and over 300 local organizations already listed in the 2-1-1 database. Now, individuals and families seeking services or volunteer opportunities can call 2-1-1, a universal, recognizable number that makes a critical connection between callers and the appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies. People often don't know where to turn and sometimes go without those necessary and readily available services. United Way 2-1-1 will fill that gap," said Angelo Miller, Executive Director of United Way of Southwest Alabama. "With United Way 2-1- 1, we're breaking down the barriers between those who need help and those who can help them." Initially, this service will be available from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday thru Friday, to those calling from Mobile, Washington, and Clarke Counties, with some exceptions. Ultimately, the service will extend to Choctaw and Monroe counties and offer expanded hours and days of service, as additional funding becomes available. When a caller dials 2-1-1, a specialist answers the phone, assesses the caller's situation, and taps into a comprehensive data base to locate appropriate services. For example, United Way 2-1-1 specialists, can offer access to: + Basic Human Needs Resources - like utility assistance, food and temporary shelter + Physical and Mental Health Resources - such as substance abuse education, counseling services, and crisis intervention services + Employment Support - like financial assistance, job training and educational programs + Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities - such as senior adult services + Support of Children, Youth and Families - such as finding a tutor, mentor opportunities, protective services, and after school programs + Volunteer Opportunities - like to providing donations and helping at temporary shelters The specialist may offer to intervene on the caller's behalf or suggest contact information and solutions to other needs the caller may have mentioned.
United Way 2-1-1 includes a partnership between United Way of Southwest Alabama and Lifelines Family Counseling to house the United Way 2-1-1 call center. The Helpline, which had been providing information and referral services to the residents of the gulf coast region for years, will now be providing those services through the new United Way 2-1-1
|
for larger version       |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
