Trident United Way helps thousands of people each year through 211
By Katie Reams, Director of United for ALICE
211 is South Carolina’s lifeline for help.
In a crisis, in a disaster, in a pandemic, 211 is here to help every person in our community find food, pay bills, and connect to other essential services. Our 211 is part of a national network, United to help as many people as possible.
In fact, 211 is a critical part of Trident United Way’s fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.
Here’s why you should use this vital service—and let others know about it, too.
1. 211 provides connections to many kinds of resources and services, including:
- Crisis and emergency counseling for mental health concerns, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking
- Disaster assistance
- Food
- Financial assistance, literacy, and coaching
- Health care and insurance assistance
- Stable housing and utilities payment assistance
- Unemployment services
- Veteran services
- Child care and family services
2. Our 211 call specialists are amazing listeners! Every call is answered by a real person, a caring expert who offers comfort, hope, and solutions - from the first hello to the final connection to help.
Just see what one 211 call specialist had to say:
“211 is one of the few places where people can call and there is a real person on the other end – to provide information, patience, empathy, and empowering action steps.”
- Kimberly Hughes, Call Specialist, Black Mountain, North Carolina
3. 211 is simple and convenient to use. The service is free, confidential, and accessible 24/7/365. It’s also available in more than 180 languages.
4. There’s more than one way to use 211. You can dial 2-1-1 on your phone and speak to a trained 211 specialist. Or you can browse local resources on SC211.org. The service is also now available by text! Simply text “HELP” to 211211 for information.
5. 211 helps over 65,000 people in South Carolina each year, many of them just like you. 211 is available to help anyone, no matter their situation, income level, gender, age, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Learn more and get help by visiting SC211.org. And share this information with as many people as possible, so everyone in the Tri-County area knows where to turn for help.