Help Is a Quick Call Away
Someone I’ll call George, who has been disabled for a decade and struggles to make ends meet in the best of times, posted this to an online discussion group in my community:
"I just had a leg amputated and am now in rehab. All I’m getting when I leave is a wheelchair and a shower chair. I need a ramp built so I can get in my home but I don’t have any money for it. They gave me some numbers for possible help with a ramp but they didn’t work out. Does anyone have any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated!"
It nearly broke my heart! So I began doing some Internet research, looking for a program or organization that’d help. Pretty much all I came up with was general contact info for various government agencies, such as the departments on heath and aging, as well as listings of nonprofit organizations.
I wanted a way to cut through the bureaucracies to get George a ramp. Oh yeah, it was Sunday night. Not even a chance of someone at an agency responding to an email or phone call. Just before I threw up my hands in frustration, I remembered 2-1-1.
What’s 2-1-1?
This three-digit phone number operates as a one-stop information and referral service in many communities, steering callers to appropriate government agencies and nonprofits that work in health and human services. It hadn’t dawned on me that 2-1-1 would be available in my neck of the woods, which is fairly off the beaten track. But much to my surprise, even out here, folks can get help 24/7. By the end of this month, it’s expected that 185 million people will have access to 2-1-1 in 40 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
First launched in 1997 by United Way in Atlanta, 2-1-1 is a great place to turn for help in crisis intervention and in simply cutting through the dizzying array of agencies, hotlines, and hassles whenever you’re looking for a hand in your community. Call 2-1-1 if you need a referral to: food banks, shelters, health insurance programs (including those for children), support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation, Medicaid and Medicare, and medical information lines.
Do you need financial assistance or job training? The folks at 2-1-1 will let you know what’s available in your community. Ditto for education programs, adult day care, Meals on Wheels, respite care, home health care, transportation, childcare, Head Start, after school programs, family resource centers, mentoring, tutoring, and protective services.
Does 2-1-1 Deliver for George?
I didn’t want to just give George the 2-1-1 number without knowing if he’d benefit, so I called and described his situation. The operator didn’t find a magic ramp-builder for George, but she did ferret out an organization I had some questions about and said a supervisor would get back to me the next day. Much to my surprise, I heard from Melissa, the supervisor, first thing Monday morning!
It was a zoo here then, and before I got around to returning her call, she called me back. Now I call that service! Melissa had done some research and came up with four concrete options for George – including two local groups that might actually build the ramp as well as two agencies that could help George make sure he gets all the benefits he’s entitled to and coordinate all the care he needs. She had the phone numbers and hours all ready for me.
Far, far away
While Melissa was talking, I kept thinking how comforted I would have been if George were my dad, living clear across the country in that predicament. If your parents need a hand and you’re not handy, you can search the 2-1-1 system by simply entering their zip code. You’ll get the number you can dial to connect directly with the 2-1-1 information and referral service near your folks.
I told George what I found out, and we’ll know soon enough if 2-1-1 pans out for him. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, have you ever called 2-1-1? How did it work out for you?
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