211

211 connects neighbors to everyday services assistance that make lives better, and help in crises. Every day, 2,000 trained community resource guides field 42,000 calls to connect people to local resources. 

And they're  trained to identify and address the causes of problems. They listen to understand, and seek to connect people to local resources that can meet all their needs—from food, housing and utilities, to health care, jobs and childcare—not just the one that prompted the call, text or email to 211. 

Transportation is a fundamental part of life, yet not everyone has equal access to it. United Way created Ride United in April 2018 to help people in need get critical rides – to food pantries, doctor’s appointments, education programs, job interviews and veterans’ services. 

Now, with the help of GM, Principal and thousands of community agencies, millions of our most vulnerable neighbors across the U.S. are getting transportation and food delivery help: 

Some 21.9M meals have been delivered to 129,000+ households through our partnership’s 1.8 million free deliveries. 

And some 431K free and discounted rides have been provided to more than 103k Americans. 

For example, Grandma Lizzy raises her grandchildren in South Florida, without a car. She’d been walking to a nearby school to get fresh produce and pantry goods from its Mobile School Pantry. But it got tougher as her mobility worsened. Ride United was able to deliver the food to her and her grandchildren.

During disasters, 211 helps spread the word about evacuation. It points people to shelters and helps them find food and water. And it connects them to federal agencies in the rebuilding phase. 211s from other regions step up to field calls in disaster-stricken areas. Here’s how 211 was there for New Jersey during a tropical storm.

During tax season, IRS-trained call center operators staff United Way’s MyFreeTaxes helpline in the U.S., answering questions to help people file their state and federal tax returns.

An average of 42,000 people contact 211 on any given day. And those numbers are growing. The annual 211 Impact Survey is the only one of its kind to collect data from all 50 states on the challenges households face. Housing as well as utility and food assistance were the top needs identified by people who contacted 211 for help.