Utilize United Way's 2-1-1 To Connect With Community Resources

Sometimes things happen to us in life unexpectedly, and sometimes, these unexpected surprises can bring joy and happiness into our lives. Unfortunately though, this certainly isn’t always the case.  It seems that more often than not, surprises can cause more harm than good, quickly adding to the stress and worry in our lives.

Events like these may include unexpected car trouble or medical bills that leave you struggling to make ends meet.  Or, maybe an elderly parent falls ill and is no longer able to care for him or herself, leaving you to figure out how to care for your parent, while maintaining full-time employment. These are just a few examples of how one isolated incident can exacerbate our already busy, stressful lives. Don’t face these problems on your own. There are services available to help people in many, various ways and United Way’s 2-1-1 connects people to these resources.  

United Way’s 2-1-1 online information database is full of community resources available right at your fingertips. Simply log-on to www.getconnected.org and click on ‘Information Database.’ From there, you are able to search for resources by category, keyword, or agency. The database also allows you to enter your zip code to search for resources nearest to your home.

For those without internet access, 2-1-1 is also a phone number you can dial to get information on community resources. Referral specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help with information and resources, such as:  housing matters, food, child care services, counseling, literacy classes, health care, substance abuse treatment, family services, Veteran’s services, suicide prevention, energy assistance, job training, senior services, volunteer opportunities, and much more.

United Way’s 2-1-1 is also as much about giving help as it is getting help. If you or your organization provides services in your community, please visit getconnected.org to verify your organization is listed with 2-1-1. If not, please call 2-1-1 with your information. Callers not able to reach 2-1-1 due to your telephone or cell phone carrier can use the toll-free number (877-384-5565) to connect to community resources.