Page 11 - United Way 2020 Brochure

Answering the Calls for Help

Through the support of thousands of contributors, United Way’s 2-1-1 Call Center is available 24/7 to assess the needs of
distressed callers and refer them to agencies equipped to help. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an av-
erage of 400 calls per day to 2-1-1, which was triple the number from the same time in 2019. One week alone saw 3,000
calls. Due to massive job losses, callers were looking for immediate assistance with food, utilities and affordable housing.

Likewise, United Way’s Area Agency on Aging’s 1-800-AGE-LINE answered thousands of calls from seniors with imme-
diate needs. The highest priority was ensuring that seniors who needed food could sign up for nutritious meals through
either Meals on Wheels or the Senior Nutrition Program, while area senior centers (where many would normally
receive their meals) were shuttered due to the pandemic. In addition, call specialists and program staff continued
to provide help with essential needs, such as Medicare questions, prescription drug assistance and caregiving.

Isolation and a wide range of fears from an unknown virus brought mental health concerns to the forefront. The
Crisis Center, a United Way partner agency, saw an increase of 100% among callers contemplating suicide. With
the help of United Way, the Crisis Center installed a new software system enabling volunteers to answer calls 11
24/7 from the safety of their own homes. This allowed additional volunteers to be trained and onboarded as
counselors to keep up with spiking caller demand.

74% 9,243 4,000

of 54,317 2-1-1 calls calls were received calls were answered by The
were received since through United Way’s Crisis Center in one month
mid-March 1-800-AGE-LINE alone from individuals
contemplating suicide