Many residents in New Jersey may not be aware that a five year old service coordinated by The United Way provides for a 211 phone number to help facilitate people’s needs to connect with various community or governmental services. 211 is a number to call when you need to find state or local health and human service resources to address urgent needs or everyday concerns. Available 24/7, it is free, confidential, multi-lingual, and TTY accessible. It is a service accessed by everyday citizens, and also by many professionals and first responders.
In an ongoing Needs Survey hosted at www.nj211.org, the following were acknowledged to be of “urgent concern”
- Utility assistance 68%
- Buying food 65.4%
- Paying rent 65%
- Paying outstanding credit card debt 56.5%
- Paying mortgage 52.4%
- Buying prescriptions 52.4%
- Paying for medical coverage 45.5%
52.2% of respondents own their own home, while the remaining rent. 88% of those completing the survey currently earn less than $50,000/year. When asked what brought them to the NJ 2-1-1 Web site, 27.8% stated a job loss and 30.6% noted a health care crisis.
A new section of the site, Help in Hard Times (http://nj211.org/hardtimes08.cfm ) includes in-depth information on many of the subjects noted: Avoiding Foreclosure; Food and Nutrition Programs; Utility Assistance; and Living Through a Layoff. New sections will be added to include information about Health Insurance Needs and Living on a Limited Budget. These pages are filled with information about state and community resources with details including how a program works, specific eligibility requirements and full contact information. Also available at the web site is a 36 page Utility Assistance Guide that can be downloaded at the site.
The service is celebrating it’s fifth year of service, and below is a statement released in recognition of this milestone.
211 Fifth Year Anniversary
To the Editor:
February 11, 2010 marks the 5th anniversary of the launch of 2-1-1, the United Way ’s statewide system that connects people in need with the health and human services, government assistance, and local community resources available to help. 2-1-1 has proven to be a highly efficient and effective public private partnership – one that was most recently leveraged by Governor Christie to provide information about our state’s Haitian relief efforts.
Over the last year we have seen requests to 2-1-1 increase dramatically, exceeding 367,000 calls statewide. In Bergen County , call volume has increased 29% in the last year. Web traffic has exploded, increasing 60% in the same period. Many of our callers are seeking help for the very first time – with services they desperately need – food banks, utility assistance and eviction and foreclosure avoidance to prevent individual and family homelessness.
We want to thank the many donors, volunteers, and legislators who support the thousands of organizations to which we refer, including state programs that are the safety net of our community. We are grateful to all in our community who support food pantries, financial assistance programs, counseling, support groups, after-school and tutoring programs and so many more vital resources. And, we are proud to live in a community where members work tirelessly to take care of those individuals who are most vulnerable and those who have been affected by the economic downturn.
Thank you, to all who support these vital programs and services in our Bergen County community. If you or someone you know needs help, call 2-1-1 or click onto nj211.org. It’s easy to remember, free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, everyday.
In appreciation,
Laura Zink Marx
Executive Director
NJ 2-1-1 Partnership
Thomas Toronto
President
Bergen County ’s United Way