News | Article
from The Press-Enterprise
211 is the phone number to call for
Inland services
By Laurie Lucas
(February 13, 2008) - The best-kept secret is out.
And Tracie Bell, 26, is privy to it.
She's among a steadily increasing number of people who are
dialing the 211 toll-free phone number to hook up with public
and private services in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The biggest demands are from casualties of the collapsed
housing market and callers in need of food, shelter and money to
pay for rent and utilities, say the heads of the two Inland
referral centers.
Bell said that since she and her husband, Joshua Valentine,
23, moved into a rental house last November with their three
children, they've received food, clothing and utilities
assistance from Riverside County organizations, simply by
dialing 211.
"We've called five times and they've come through every time,
real quick," Bell said. At the moment they've got a roof over
their heads, but Tuesday, their car broke down.
What 911 is to emergencies and 411 is to information, 211 is
to social services -- including animal care, disaster resources,
help for elderly veterans, shelters, food, clothing, disability
programs, low-cost child care and medical care, job training and
government programs.
"More and more calls are from families with children looking
for shelter because they've lost or are about to lose their
home," said Gary Madden, director of San Bernardino's 211
service that operates through the Inland Empire United Way in
Rancho Cucamonga. "About 60 percent of callers are in serious
financial difficulties."
A staff report in June indicated that about 40 percent of
their calls were from the 10 zip codes with the highest
foreclosure rates in San Bernardino County -- led by San
Bernardino, Victorville, Fontana and Ontario, respectively, he
said.
"I'm sure the housing market has had an impact," said Mary
Salvador-Sheets, who as CEO of the Volunteer Center of Riverside
County runs the 211 service there.
Debora Mickelson, in charge of outreach and training, agreed:
"There's a high volume of callers for rent and utilities
assistance, food and counseling."
How It Works
Callers to the San Bernardino office are connected to one of
Madden's 16 staff members. Workers attempt to establish a
rapport with callers and try to "de-escalate" emotional crises,
if they exist. Callers are asked about their needs, zip code and
whether friends or family can offer financial support, if
needed. Then the phone number of the appropriate service agency
is provided.
"We're the Google clearinghouse," Madden said. "In a single,
free phone call, we're able to access comprehensive data from
667 agencies offering 1,629 programs."
In Riverside County, Salvador-Sheets' 10-member staff links
callers to the most suitable of the 2,300 programs from 800
agencies logged into the database. The numbers are culled from
small directories, regional meetings and networking groups, she
said.
Eight years ago, the Federal Communications Commission
reserved 211 as a shortcut to cut through the fractured,
bewildering maze of community services.
The FCC's goal is complete national coverage by 2010 with
permanent funding from Congress. Currently, 211 clearinghouses
cover all or part of 39 states and one-third of the counties in
California, with money provided by cities, county agencies and
nonprofit organizations.
A Spike in Calls
Within the past six months, Hospitality House, the Salvation
Army-run shelter in San Bernardino, has seen a 45 percent
upswing in referrals from the 211 number, people "down on their
luck who've lost their homes," said shelter director Roosevelt
Carroll. "It's heartbreaking. They've never been in this
situation before."
The 211 services played a critical role during the October
wildfires. Madden said they responded to 130,000 calls in five
days.
Salvador-Sheets said daily calls jumped from 300 to 1,000
during the fires.
Business is booming. Salvador-Sheets' Riverside agency, which
came on board in July 2005, handled 40,000 calls last fiscal
year. Already, calls have topped 55,000 during the first six
months of this fiscal year, she said.
Since its debut in September 2006, Madden said, San
Bernardino's 211 center has handled more than 100,000 referrals
and is logging 1,300 calls per week now.
"We're seeing the strain of more and more families looking
for ways not to be thrown out of their homes," he said. Several
human resource staffers from big companies have called seeking
help for employees living in their cars.
The goal is help the caller within three to six minutes,
Madden said. Because most callers are anonymous, he and
Salvador-Sheets say they follow up with a willing 5 percent. "We
always want them to let us know if they didn't receive a call
back from a referral agency so we can investigate,"
Salvador-Sheets said.
"About 50 percent say they've been helped," Madden said. "Those
who aren't are looking for serious financial help. Federal money
for utility assistance is extremely limited."
Reach Laurie Lucas at 951-368-9569 or
llucas@PE.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inland 211 People are connected with community services and
resources.
Riverside County has a database of 800 agencies with
2,300 programs.
San Bernardino County has a database of 667 agencies
with 1,629 programs.
Basic needs: Food, clothing banks, shelters,
assistance with rent and utilities.
Physical and mental
Health: Health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare,
maternal health resources, health insurance programs for
children, medical information lines, crisis intervention
services, support groups, counseling, and drug and alcohol
intervention and rehabilitation.
Work support: Financial assistance, job training,
transportation assistance and education programs.
Support for older Americans and persons with disabilities:
Adult day care, community meals, respite care, home health care,
transportation and homemaker services.
Family Support: Child care, after-school programs,
educational programs for low-income families, family resource
centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring,
tutoring and protective services.
Suicide prevention: Suicide prevention help
organizations.
Source: Riverside County, San Bernardino County 211
services
.
< view all news
|
