Many different resources can help people in need. Sadly, a lot of people that would benefit from these resources don’t know that they exist. One specific resource that may be able to help is 211.org. This website is available thanks to the government and takes the time to provide useful information as well as other support to the community.
What is 211.org
Back in 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assigned 2-1-1 as an informational number. Besides providing information, this number could also provide referrals to assistance like social services. 211.org is the website for a network. Plenty of organizations are a part of this network. Some popular organizations include:
- United Ways
- Goodwill
- Community Action Partnerships
- Local Crisis Centers
The 211 network uses local experts across America to help provide people with the information they need. There are over 200 of these agencies nationwide. The local experts at these agencies are trained community specialists that are able to help those in need get in touch with useful local resources that focus on the problems at hand. To talk to these specialists, you will need to reach out. You can do this by calling, getting in touch online, or texting.
What are the Four Main Categories?
If you are interested in benefiting from this resource then you will want to call 2-1-1. All calls to this number are totally confidential and have the option to be anonymous. You can get support for a variety of issues that you may be dealing with. On this website’s homepage, the four main categories for resources are:
Finding Food
Under this webpage, 211 hosts a variety of information about potential programs that can help and statistics that can shed some light. Some popular programs that may be able to help include:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Free School Meals for Children
- Food Programs for Seniors
- Food Programs for Pets
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Groceries are tough for many Americans to deal with. Through this program, qualifying recipients can get funds every month that can go towards the cost of groceries. The 211 website explains how you can benefit from SNAP and what you need to do to get support. This includes applying in your current state, meeting specific requirements, and more. They even have information about useful tools like smartphone apps that can help you manage this program and can provide even more resources!
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
This food assistance program can be offered thanks to state governments. The goal is to provide qualifying households with necessary supplies and food for eligible recipients like women, infants, and children, hence the program’s name! The benefits from WIC can go towards buying nutritional foods like:
- Baby foods and formulas
- Eggs
- Milk
- Cereal
- Peanut butter
- Fruits
- Vegetables
Besides those benefits, WIC can also provide accessible health screenings, counseling, and referrals. The 211 website has information about state agencies that have WIC information!
Fresh School Meals for Children
Not every child has the same access to food. That is why there are programs that focus on providing food to children that may struggle. The 211 website contains information about the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). It also provides resources on local meal sites that can provide free and healthy snacks or meals to kids when they are out of school.
Food Programs for Seniors
A statistic you may not know is that over 5.3 million seniors in America are food insecure. The 211 website contains information about programs like the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). These programs can provide support like coupons or monthly packages to those that qualify.
Food Programs for Pets
When people are dealing with tough times, it is easy to forget about pets. They are an important part of a family and have expenses like food, vet costs, etc. In fact, some statistics that may be surprising include:
- 12% of pet parents have visited a food pantry for pet supplies
- 17% of pet parents have shared their human food with their animals to make sure they had a meal regardless of their income level
- 59% of pet parents reported that they would prioritize the medical costs of their pet over their own medical costs
The 211 website encourages users to reach out to 211 to find a local pet food pantry or even more affordable veterinary services.
Mental Health
Sometimes, you may need help for yourself, other times, you may need help from someone else. Regardless, the 211 website has resources and information for those seeking mental health support. They can help in finding long-term mental health support, talking through problems, or considering mental health opportunities for treatment. There is a live person who can provide this type of help when users get in touch with 211. Their goal is to help people who are lost find a sense of direction in the future they want to see.
They also provide information on hotlines and resources that may be able to help. Some of the hotline information they have includes:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- Veterans Crisis Line
- National Domestic Violence Support Hotline
- National Human Trafficking Hotline
- Crisis Text Line
- Trevor Hotline
In addition to these helpful resources, they also provide information on where to find some statistics that highlight the importance of getting mental health support.
New to the U.S.?
For people that are new to America and need support, the 211 website has information that may be able to help. First of all, they provide important phone numbers that people should know. They also offer toll-free hotline numbers that may be relevant to those new in America. In addition to these helpful resources, they provide some guidance on a variety of different issues that immigrants may face like:
- Education
- Identification
- Food
- Healthcare
- Legal Support
Education
On the 211 website, the education section contains details about how the school systems work, helpful programs, and resources for people trying to learn English. For the school system, the website explains that it is a requirement for children under 18 years old to attend school regardless of their immigration status. Some resources the 211 website provides include tools to help users find their local school as well as what they will need to enroll a child.
Besides some helpful information on the school system, the website contains information about programs that may be able to help in other ways, like Head Start. Head Start is a program that focuses on serving children between three years old and four years old. However, there are variations of the program that can help other groups of people, for example, Early Head Start which focuses on infants, toddlers, and even pregnant women! The 211 website has information to help people learn more and finalize a local agency to begin the application process.
Last but not least, under the education section, there is a part about learning English. There are plenty of nonprofits that can help those in need learn English for free! 211 encourages users to reach out to find free classes as well as additional support opportunities for immigrants. Besides that, they provide resources to USA Learns which provides free online English and Citizenship lessons!
Identification
The 211 website confirms the importance of having valid identification. That is why they list out different important forms of identification and their relevance. This list includes:
- Driver’s Licenses
- State-Issued IDs
- Social Security Number
Not every state is the same which means the opportunities for identification will vary. For example, specific states like California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Utah, Vermont, and Washington, allow residents to get a driver’s license with qualifying foreign documentation.
Food
Immigrants can have a hard time getting the food they need to have a nutritional, balanced diet. That is why the 211 website contains information on opportunities that may be able to help like the WIC program or state food programs. For example, when it comes to WIC, there are no immigration restrictions for a majority of states. Again, the specifics will vary by state, but there may be available opportunities that you don’t realize exist!
Healthcare
The 211 website contains useful tools that can help users. For example, they have a tool that users can check out that finds the closest health care center. Immigration status can be important when it comes to the health opportunities that a person can access. It is recommended to reach out directly to 211 for further assistance.
Legal Support
Navigating a new country can be stressful. The 211 website contains important information about the rights that a person has as well as legal assistance. This includes listing out organizations that may be able to help like:
- National Immigration Project
- Legal Services Corporation (Legal Aid)
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Affiliates
- National Immigration Legal Services Directory
- LawHelp.org
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
Your Local 211
While this isn’t an assistance category per se, it is one of the first redirects on the main page of the 211 website because it is very important! This page gives users a search tool that can find the closest 211 near them. All they need to input is either their zip code or address! It allows users to connect with a member of the 211 network. Users can reach out 24/7 thanks to the thousands of staff (as well as volunteers) nationwide.
Additional Categories on the 211 Website
Besides the main categories listed above, individuals can also find more resources on the following:
Overall
When you need support, it can be overwhelming to review what’s available. This is where the 211 network may be able to help. 2-1-1 is the number designated by the government to provide local resources to those that get in touch. They have a website that contains a variety of helpful information, resources, and more. Some of the most helpful pages include:
- Finding Food
- Mental Health
- New to the U.S.
- Your Local 211
- Healthcare Expenses
- I need help paying my bills
- Utility Expenses
- Substance Use
If you are interested in getting their support, you will want to check out the 211 website. You can get in touch with a specialist that can help either by calling 2-1-1, reaching out online or through text. You have a variety of ways to get in contact to get information. It’s also important to keep in mind that everything is completely confidential!
