Do You two-one-one

Every hour of every day, hundreds of people need essential human services – training, employment, food pantries, help for an aging parent, addiction prevention programs for teens, affordable housing options, support groups, and ways of becoming part of their community. Often we’re confronted with a confusing array of organizations, phone numbers, and Web sites that lead us to a maze of agencies and services.

What many people don’t know is that simply dialing 2-1-1, where available, connects you with a wide variety of important services in your community. And “available” means more than 78 percent of people in the U.S., more than 28 percent of Canadians – and those numbers continue to grow.

2-1-1 is a free, confidential, one-stop service with an easy-to-remember telephone number to call for everyday needs and in times of crisis. While services vary from community to community, those services can include:

Basic Human Needs: food banks, clothing, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance.
Physical and Mental Health Resources: medical information lines, crises intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention, rehabilitation, health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, children’s health insurance programs.
Employment Support: unemployment benefits, financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance, education programs.
Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities: home health care, adult day care, Meals on wheels, respite care, transportation, homemaker services.
Support for Children, Youth and Families: childcare, after-school programs, Head Start, family resource enters, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective service.
Natural and Man – Made Disasters: disease epidemics, power blackouts, emergency shelters, evacuation routes, travelers’ aid.

If you or someone you know want more information about 2-1-1, the web sites are www.211.org and www211.ca. And of course, the telephone number is -2-1-1!

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional I encourage all questions and comment on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any article posted.  I can be reached by email at chance@ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates