United Way’s 211 received more than 358,000 contacts in 2023. On average, a Community Resource Navigator receives a call ever eight minutes during a shift. They work with individuals to locate the exact right point of help from a database of more than 7,000 local resources.
Here are a few call highlights for the month of October 2024:
An Independence, Mo. resident who was celebrating two achievements reached out to 211. This person had just landed a new job and was proud of being sober for 70+ days. For the new job, she needed business attire and didn’t know where to turn. At 57, she wanted to ensure she met the expectations of the new position. The navigator took time to celebrate with the caller before expertly searching the database to find three referrals ensuring the caller knew the hours, address, and documents needed for each program. The individual wrapped the call expressing joy and gratefulness for the moment of connection and the referrals.
A 50-year-old resident of Kansas City, Mo. called 211 in need of assistance getting to court for an eviction case. The caller had lost her job and had fallen behind on paying rent. She stated, “It has been hard trying to find reliable transportation solutions for my crucial needs, such as getting to my eviction court hearings, medical appointments and job interviews.” After weighing possible transportation options with the caller, the 211 Community Resource Navigator was able to refer her to the Ride United Transportation Access program for a ride to get her to her court hearing and to a job interview she had scheduled for the following day. The caller said, “I am so grateful for United Way 211 and their partnership with Lyft. They provided me with reliable transportation to make it to court and my job interview. I had a stress free on-demand ride! I arrived safely and on time. Thank you so much United Way!”
A 28-year old Kansas City, Mo. resident called to ask for assistance getting to her new job. She was starting a new job at the airport and needed a ride just long enough to make her first paycheck so she could catch up on expenses. By the end of the call, she was very gracious and thankful for 211’s service; both for the Ride United program as well as the helpfulness and kindness shown by the navigator.
A father called 211 seeking help in a crisis. He needed shelter for himself and his son. In fact, he was calling while walking to see if they could get into a nearby shelter. The father shared his mix of emotions, including thoughts of suicide. Community Resource Navigators are trained to actively listen and offer crisis resources like 988 or suicide hotlines in critical situations. He shared he had already called the crisis line and did not receive the help he needed, which was a safe place for him and his son. The navigator stayed on the line with him, providing gentle encouragement and additional resources, until he made it safely to the shelter. As the call ended, the caller felt he had the resources he needed and appreciated the navigator for the encouragement and listening ear.
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