United Way Launches 2-1-1:
Dial 2-1-1 to Give or Get Help

Every hour of every day, someone in West Tennessee needs essential services - from finding an after-school program to securing adequate care for a child or an aging parent. Faced with a dramatic increase in the number of agencies and help-lines, people often don't know where to turn. In many cases, people end up going without these necessary services because they do not know where to start. 2-1-1 helps people find and give help.

“2-1-1 offers tremendous benefits for the entire West Tennessee community,” said Dianna Lankford, chairperson for United Way of West Tennessee’s board of directors. “United Way has a long-standing tradition for providing information and referral services in the community. 2-1-1 makes it easier for people to know who to call and includes resources beyond United Way partner agencies. This is just one thing we’re doing to build a stronger, healthier community.”

United Way of West Tennessee’s 2-1-1 covers all ten counties it serves and operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Counties that are covered include Carroll, Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Haywood, Hardeman, Henderson, Madison, McNairy and Weakley Counties. While services that are offered through 2-1-1 vary from community to community, 2-1-1 provides callers with information about and referrals to human services for every day needs and in times of crisis. For example, 2-1-1 can offer access to the following types of services:

· Basic Human Needs Resource: food banks, clothing closets, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance.

· Physical and Mental Health Resources: health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, Children's Health Insurance Program, medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation.

· Employment Supports: financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance, education programs.

· Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities: adult day care, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, home health care, transportation, homemaker services.

· Support for Children, Youth and Families: childcare, after school programs, Head Start, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services.

· Volunteer Opportunities and Donations.

2-1-1 offers many benefits to people who utilize the service. One is that one call gives you access to resources across your community. 2-1-1 is efficient, fast and easy to use. 2-1-1 is also confidential, so callers can feel free to be honest about the services needed without being self-conscious. It also maintains the efficiency of the 9-1-1 system and saves those vital resources for life and death emergencies.

United Way of West Tennessee is a local, volunteer-driven organization that helps local people in need. Its mission is to unite people and resources to build stronger, healthier communities. Through United Way, individual pledges and payroll deduction campaigns are combined to create a fund that supports health and human service programs and agencies serving the area. Local volunteers decide where funds are invested by carefully reviewing applicant agencies that believe in children and youth, empower people with disabilities, care for the elderly, encourage self-sufficiency and strengthen families. In 2005-06, the ten-county United Way of West Tennessee partnership raised more than $2.48 million.

To find out how to help with your community’s United Way effort, call (731) 422-1816 or email give@unitedway.tn.org. More information is also available at United Way of West Tennessee’s website, www.unitedway.tn.org.