Not long ago, Jane – a stay-at-home mother of two young girls – was abandoned by her husband. Overnight, she became a single mother with a mortgage and tax payments, a car payment, household bills, and no medical insurance for herself or her children.
Embarrassed and desperate, Jane picked up the phone and dialed 2-1-1, which connected her to a new, 24-hour statewide information and referral system recently launched by the United Way of Rhode Island.
A referral specialist from Crossroads Rhode Island who took the call immediately put Jane in touch with Rhode Island Housing – which helped Jane refinance her mortgage for a more affordable monthly payment – and connected her with RIte Care for medical insurance, her local food stamps office, a financial counselor and local employment agencies.
“Jane was an average Rhode Islander who suddenly found herself at a loss,” said Cristina Amadeo, director of United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island, speaking at a June 1 press conference to announce the new service.
A single call to United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island connects residents of the state to more than 700 community-based organizations and government agencies that offer services ranging from after-school programs, to food banks, to programs that provide care for an aging parent.
A staff of 12 at the 2-1-1 call center can field calls in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Laotian, and has access to translators in dozens of other languages.
“United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island is the fastest, easiest and most efficient way to get critical information when it’s needed,” said Anthony Maione, UWRI’s president and CEO. “With one call on an easily remembered phone number, Rhode Islanders can speak confidentially with an information and referral specialist who will assess the caller’s needs and determine the service provider best equipped to handle their concern or crisis.”
The 2-1-1 system was developed in partnership with Crossroads Rhode Island, and replaces the “Help Line” number that Crossroads has staffed for many years. The call center is currently being housed at Crossroads Rhode Island but will move to the new United Way building.
The system operated in stealth mode for last few months, as information about the number was sent to state agencies and the nonprofit community to share with their clients.
First launched a decade ago in Atlanta, 2-1-1 service is now available in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. One of the unique features of the system is that if it is disabled in one area, systems in other states can respond: 2-1-1 played a key role in assisting refuges of Hurricane Katrina when a 2-1-1 call center in Texas fielded calls from the Gulf region.
The 2-1-1 system is simple and will not be difficult to manage and operate for Crossroads, said Jane Hayward, secretary of the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
The service’s track record of success in other states was part of the reason why the Hasbro Children’s Fund supported the launch of United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island with a $360,000 grant, said Alfred J. Verrecchia, CEO of Hasbro Inc.
“This is a simple program, it’s easy to use, and it’s been a proven success around the country,” Verrecchia said.
