In a crisis, in a disaster, in a pandemic, 211 is here to help every person in our community find food, pay bills, and connect to other essential services.
211, managed in our region by United Way of York County Partner Agency CONTACT Helpline of PA, is part of a national network, united to help as many people as possible.
In fact, 211 is a critical part of United Way of York County’s fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.
What’s the impact that 211 can have?
Last Christmas, Dave was home alone. He did not even realize that it was Christmas until he left his house to go to the store and it was closed. When he returned home, he began to really think about his family, together celebrating the holiday while he was left out. As the impact of this isolation came to light, Dave realized he did not want to live like this anymore.
Luckily, Dave called 211, the health and human services helpline run in our region by CONTACT Helpline of Central PA. It was in that moment that Dave needed to talk to someone about his options — he could not wait until the next day, and was grateful that 211 receives calls 24/7, 365 days a year.
He was motivated and determined to seek counseling so he could be reunited with his family. Although Dave didn’t know where to start to get help, a trained individual walked him through the process for contacting his insurance company and provided him with several community agencies that could also help.
When the opportunity for change came, Dave was able to take advantage of the opportunity because 211 was there when he picked up the phone.
United Way of York County provides for basic and crisis needs in our community, connecting people like Dave with 211 and the resources that can help them thrive long-term.
Here’s why you should use this vital service — and let others know about it, too.
- 211 provides connections to many kinds of resources and services, including:
- Crisis and emergency counseling for mental health concerns, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking
- Disaster assistance
- Food
- Financial assistance, literacy, and coaching
- Health care and insurance assistance
- Stable housing and utilities payment assistance
- Unemployment services
- Veteran services
- Child care and family services
- Our 211 specialists are amazing listeners! 211 does more than “patch people through” to agencies. Instead, every call is answered by a real person, a caring expert who offers comfort, hope, and solutions — from the first hello to the final connection to help.
- 211 is simple and convenient to use. The service is free, confidential, and accessible 24/7/365. It’s also available in more than 180 languages.
- There’s more than one way to use 211. Anyone can dial 211 or text your zip code to #898-211 to talk with a resource specialist for free. Or, you can visit pa211.org to search for resources on your own.
- 211 tackles problems at the roots. In fact, 211 specialists are trained to identify and address the underlying root causes of a client’s problem – and connect them with a wide range of available resources that meet all the underlying needs, not just the one that prompted the call, text, or email.
- 211 helps thousands of people in York County each year, many of them just like you. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, calls to our local 211 increased dramatically. 211 is available to help anyone, no matter their situation, their income level, or their gender, age, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Learn more and get help by visiting pa211.org. And share this information with as many people as possible, so everyone in York County knows where to turn for help!
Celebrating 100 years: Information and Referral Services
United Way of York County celebrates 100 years of service to our community in 2021. We began as The York Welfare Federation, an organization that raised funds on behalf of 17 member agencies. Today, as United Way of York County, the mission of raising community funds remains the same, but the strategies have broadened in order to meet the growing and changing needs of people living in York County.
Information and referral services have long been a critical component of how United Way of York County connects people in need to programs that can help. In 1980, United Way of York County launched “Hotline to Help,” a precursor to the Free Information and Referral Service Teleline (FIRST) that provided information and referral services to residents of York County. FIRST operated as a service of the York County Library System for a number of years and then again under United Way of York County oversight before being assumed by United Way Partner Agency CONTACT Helpline in 2013. The service is now known as 211, and is connected to the nationwide 211 network.
Then, the top requests to FIRST for assistance included emergency food and food pantries, utility bill payment assistance, rental assistance and housing support, and other basic needs. These are the same top needs that CONTACT Helpline serves through 211 today. As we celebrate 100 years, information and referral services through 211 remain a core part of United Way of York County’s work in our Financial Stability focus area, helping to ensure that even in tough economic times, individuals and families can connect with help to meet their needs.
Join us this year as we take a look back at 100 years of impact, and look ahead at the future we can build together for York County: A future where every person in our community can thrive.
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