Where would you go if you needed help?

Posted by Krystel Rae Davis on 2017-09-09

“I don’t even know where I would go if I needed help.”

The other day my husband and I were trying to figure out where someone would go if they needed help. In researching what’s out there, I came across dialing 2-1-1. In the United States and parts of Canada, 2-1-1 is a service provided by United Way that directs individuals to local resources.

Although services offered through 211 varies from community to community, calling 211 or going to www.211.org may provide you information and referrals to the following:

  • Basic Human Needs: food banks, clothing, shelters, rent assistance, housing, utility assistance.
  • Mental and Physical Health: medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol treatment and intervention, health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, children’s health insurance programs.
  • Employment Support: unemployment benefits, financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance, education programs.
  • Support for Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities: home health care, adult day care, community wheels, respite care, transportation, and homemaker services.
  • Children, Youth, and Family Support: Quality childcare, after school programs, Head Start programs, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services.
  • Disaster Response and Recovery: works with teh emergency management team during a disaster to offer support and provide information
  • Volunteer opportunities and donations: individuals looking to donate time, goods, or money can find various community organizations by calling this helpline.

I have yet to call this line and see what resources I would be directed to. It may not solve the problem, but I’m hoping it’ll provide a starting point.

What would you do if you needed help?


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