By Mike Pound
Globe Staff Writer
JOPLIN, Mo. —
Valerie Searcy said the biggest challenge sometimes facing people who need assistance is just knowing where to look.
Searcy, director of marketing for United Way Of Southwest Missouri, said it’s not uncommon for someone who needs help to make five different calls before locating the right agency.
That’s where the 2-1-1 phone service comes in, she said.
The 2-1-1 service is similar to the 9-1-1 emergency system, but instead of directing callers to public safety departments, the 2-1-1 system directs them to social agencies or other not-for-profit organizations that can help.
Searcy said the idea for a 2-1-1 system grew, in part, out of misplaced 9-1-1 calls.
“When 9-1-1 first started, some people were calling 9-1-1 because they needed diapers for their baby, or money for food and didn’t know where to go,” she said.
The 2-1-1 system has been up and running in every Missouri county since 2008 and longer in Kansas and Oklahoma, Searcy said, but United Way agencies in Missouri and across the country have just begun working to get the word out.
“We want to make sure that our local agencies and nonprofits are signed up on the system, and to let the community know that we are here and that it’s up and running. You don’t have to part of the United Way to use 2-1-1; it’s a community service,” she said.
In Missouri the 2-1-1 system is sponsored by the Missouri Foundation for Health and the United Way of St. Louis.
Searcy said that when someone dials 2-1-1 from a land line, their call will be answered by someone in the St. Louis Command Center. The caller will be asked for their ZIP code and then asked to explain what their problem is or what sort of assistance they need. The person at the Command Center will then direct the caller to the agency or agencies in the caller’s area that can best help them, Searcy said.
“We don’t want people to have to call five different agencies to find someone who can help them. This, we hope, will save them a lot of headaches, “ she said.
Searcy said that in 2009 the 2-1-1 phone system fielded 1,586 calls from Jasper and Newton counties.
“The top reasons for calling 2-1-1 were for help with electric bills, water bills, rent assistance, mortgage help, gas and locations of food pantries,” Searcy said.
Cell phones?
The 2-1-1 system is not available on all cell phones. Valerie Searcy, with United Way of Southwest Missouri, said currently the service is available on AT&T phones. Cell phone users who don’t have 2-1-1 service can call 800-427-4626 to be connected with the St. Louis Command Center. There also is a 2-1-1 Web page at www.211missouri.org. that people can access to locate assistance in their area.
