From a press release:

Feb. 11 has been designated as “National 2-1-1 Day” by United Way Worldwide. 2-1-1 is a free, confidential, and easy-to-remember phone number that serves as a lifeline for millions across the country each year.

With a single call to 2-1-1, people in need receive information and referrals to essential health and human services such as:

• Where to go for food and shelter;

• What to do if the utilities are turned off;

• Where to get free or low-cost health or dental care;

• How to get rent or mortgage assistance;

• Where to find job assistance and employment resources;

• How to get help with civil legal issues, including eviction; and

• Where to find services for Veterans.

Since the program began 10 years ago, King County 2-1-1 has helped over a million callers and provided almost 3 million referrals to social and health service organizations in our community. Last year alone, King County 2-1-1 answered over 99,000 calls—including 5,925 calls from residents of Renton.

People in search of critical services don’t often know where to begin looking for help and can get overwhelmed when searching for assistance. “It usually takes 8-12 calls before someone is able to find the right agency to help them. By calling 2-1-1, they can get that information with a single call,” Susan Gemmel, 2-1-1 Director for Crisis Clinic, said in a press release.

Information and referral services like King County 2-1-1 streamline the process by assessing each caller’s unique needs and referring them to the agencies best equipped to assist them. 2-1-1 is much more than directory assistance. Callers also get useful information about how to access services in a complex system that is often difficult to navigate. “We are also able to answer calls in over 150 languages through our Bilingual Specialists and language interpreters, allowing us to assist harder-to-reach populations in our community,” adds Gemmel.

No matter the need, 2-1-1 is here to help.

King County 2-1-1 is one of seven 2-1-1 regions that make up the Washington Information Network (WIN211), serving all residents in the state. To help celebrate National 2-1-1 Day and the 10th anniversary of 2-1-1, King County 2-1-1 encourages residents to contact their legislators to support statewide funding of the 2-1-1 service.