211 phone service offers help through United Way

With dozens of public and private agencies providing aid to the needy, it's difficult for someone going through a financial or health crisis to find someone who can help.

But for people who live in Callaway County there's a convenient way to find the right agency that can provide assistance.

It's as easy as dialing 211. The Callaway County United Way participates in a joint statewide service that provides counseling from experts who can help guide the person to the most appropriate agency to provide help.

"211 has been a great success," said Callaway County United Way Executive Director Kathy Richey Liddle.

"Without the 211 service, a person makes 14 calls on average before finding the service he or she needs. We're also hearing from people who have never needed to ask for help before," Liddle said.

She said participating in the 211 service has resulted in more local people making contact with the United Way seeking services or wanting to volunteer their services.

The service also can counsel people who want to volunteer services to help match their skills or desires to serve with the appropriate agency, public or private.

"With 211, there's someone to help people find their way through what can be a maze of services available and help them figure out where to start," Liddle said.

Cathi Miller Harris, president of the Callaway County United Way board of directors, said the biggest increase in calls from 211 has been more calls for basic needs.

"Calls for food, utilities and shelter have increased about 16 percent since last year and calls for mortgage assistance have increased nearly 60 percent," Harris said.

Nine other United Way agencies besides the Callaway County United Way are participants in the United Way of Greater St. Louis in Missouri 211 program.

The fast, free and confidential help line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout Missouri and Southwest Illinois for anyone calling from a conventional landline phone or AT&T and Verizon cell phones. Other cell phone users can contact the service by calling 800-427-4626.

Missouri 211 covers 99 of Missouri's 114 counties throughout the state. The remaining counties are covered by United Way of Greater Kansas City's 211.

Since the service started on Nov. 13, 2007, there have been more than 200,000 calls to the Missouri 211 United Way service.

The Callaway County United Way funds 13 local agencies that provide more than 200 programs and services.