About 211
United Way 211 is here to help – whether you’re an individual looking for help for your family, a non-profit seeking better ways to serve your clients, or an organization searching for how to create a better region.
With a database of thousands of non-profits throughout Missouri and Illinois, 211 is the leader in helping people find resources.
211 Connects Individuals and Families to Critical Resources in the Community
211 provides critical help, from mental health supports to food and housing assistance to transportation and more, connecting local people to resources needed to thrive. With a goal of being accessible to each caller in the way that works best for them, 211 is available through phone, online chat, text messaging and mobile app, with multilingual service for up to 250 different languages.
211 is:
Free and confidential
Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Multi-lingual and accessible TTY/TTD
211 Coordinates Crisis Response Efforts to Help Stabilize Families
During times of crisis, many people need help with different needs, and hundreds of nonprofits offer assistance, each with varied expertise, programs and missions. A coordinated response is vital to help us all on the road to recovery and to ensure the right resources are delivered at the right times without duplicating efforts or wasting resources.
211 leads regional disaster response efforts by serving as a central information hub to route calls for help and as a source of real-time data to track trends and stay updated.
Our 211 team is:
Trained, knowledgeable, and friendly
Compassionate and caring
Ready to help
How we help:
- Food pantries
- Shelters
- Rent assistance
- Utility assistance
- Mortgage assistance
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Prenatal care
- Crisis intervention
- Support groups
- Counseling
- Alcohol and drug rehabilitation
- Educational and vocational training programs
- English as a second language classes
- Job training
- General Education Development (GED) preparation
- Financial and transportation assistance
- Centers for independent living
- Adult day care
- Meals at home
- Respite care
- Home health care
- Transportation and recreation
- After-school programs
- Tutoring
- Mentorship programs
- Family resource centers
- Protective services
- Counseling
- Early childhood learning programs
- Child care referral centers
- Recreation
211 Collects Real-time Data to Provide the Most Help
In addition to connecting callers with needed community resources, 211 provides real-time, searchable data on community needs across 99 counties in Missouri and nine counties in Southwest Illinois. This data identifies trends in local individuals’ needs so that communities and organizations can direct resources to precise areas and prevent larger crises.
For example, the data can show where some needs, such as housing supports, are especially needed based on the counties or zip codes that place the most calls for help with rent or mortgage assistance. Using this data, nonprofits and other organizations have a better understanding of community needs and can come up with innovative solutions to help.
