The Salina Area United Way (SAUW) is partnering with United Way Worldwide to celebrate National 2-1-1 Day on Tuesday to recognize and spread awareness about the free resource number and website.
Supported by United Way, the 2-1-1 program was first launched in 1997 as a way to connect people with essential resources in their communities. The free, confidential, easy to remember phone number, website (211kansas.com) or by texting your ZIP code to 898211 connects the SAUW's 10-county service area residents to essential community information and services such as healthcare, rent and mortgage assistance, food and shelter, job training, transportation, childcare, senior care, veteran services, and much more.
Every day, highly trained 2-1-1 contact specialists help callers access basic needs assistance, community resources and financial stability programs. Contact specialists also help callers in distress find relief when they are faced with food insecurity, homelessness, a mental health crisis or addiction. In the SAUW's 10-county service area, data reveals that more than 1,300 total requests for assistance were received in 2019.
“Each and every day, someone in our 10-county service area needs essential services. Whether they need help for weather disaster or in everyday situations such as finding free tax preparation such as VITA, 2-1-1 powered by United Way helps people find important health and human services in our local community,” said Claire Mullen, SAUW executive director.
For more information and help with housing, utilities, crisis, emergency, health and food assistance, call 211, visit 211kansas.com or text your zip code to 898211. For more information about Salina Area United Way, visit www.unitedwaysalina.org or contact SAUW at 785-827-1312.