United Way of Summit County’s 2-1-1 program, which helps people across Summit County find local resources when they don’t know where to turn, answered 69,992 calls for assistance last year. The free, confidential service is available by phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, simply by dialing 2-1-1. Summit County residents can also receive help via text message by texting their zip code to 898-211. Text service is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to answering calls and text messages, 2-1-1 operates www.211summit.org, an extensive directory of more than 16,000 supportive agencies and services. Last year, 158,078 searches were conducted through the database – more than a 20 percent increase over the previous year.
2-1-1 helps advance United Way’s Bold Goals by 2025 – to boost third-grade reading, high school graduation and college and career readiness rates among Akron Public Schools students, financially empower thousands of working families and reduce ER visits due to overdoses. By ensuring that their basic needs are met, 2-1-1 enables local children and families to make improvements in education, financial stability and health.
“2-1-1 is a vital resource available to everyone in our community,” said Jim Mullen, president and CEO of United Way of Summit County. “Whether you are a homeless veteran in need of housing or a young family struggling to save, help is just a phone call away. And thanks to the real-time information about our community provided by 2-1-1, United Way is better able to respond to the changing needs of Summit County.”