Call 2-1-1: Discover your link to community services

It has grown tremendously in just one year.

Wiregrass United Way 2-1-1 celebrated its first birthday February 11, and it did so in conjunction with the National Information and Referral Service Agencies Day.

What started as a dream of community leaders and individuals associated with social service agencies came into fruition in January 2008, when the Wiregrass United Way 2-1-1 Call Center began receiving calls from area citizens in need of assistance. Instead of combing telephone books and local social service directories, citizens found they could place one call, to 2-1-1, and connect with a Call Center volunteer who was waiting to assist them. There is no charge for the call to 2-1-1.

It is a network, says Walter Hill, chief executive officer of the Wiregrass United Way, whose time had come.

“I had heard of this for a number of years,” Hill said during last week’s celebration, “but I wasn’t sure when it would come here.”

He noted the program was launched in Atlanta 15 years ago.

“It caught on quickly,” Hill said of the idea for a one-stop resource center to connect the public with social services agencies, faith-based entities and government programs. “It was very successful from the start. When things are successful, they start spreading, At the end of 2008, 78 percent of the U.S. population was covered by the 2-1-1 service.”

Hill says the opening of Wiregrass United Way 2-1-1 was the fulfillment of one of his goals.

“The Wiregrass United Way has been interested in 2-1-1 for years,” Hill continued. “Six years ago, when I was hired as CEO, I had heard about it at a meeting I attended. I knew we needed it. We also needed funding for it.”

The need did not go unnoticed. Vince Edge and the board of directors of the Wiregrass Foundation also envisioned a one-stop resource center.

“The Wiregrass Foundation board wanted a re-source for the community to call one number for service,” Hill said. “The Wiregrass Foundation has funded the program for three years.”

The grant from the Wiregrass Foundation is handled through the Alfred Saliba Family Services Center.

The next order of business was to hire an executive director to head up the program. That job was filled by David Duke. In his time in office, Duke has watched the program expand dramatically.

“When 2-1-1 started, we had a small office in the Mixson Business Center,” Duke said. “In July 2008, we opened the Call Center.”

Duke has added two staff members, Marc Cronin, resource manager; and Michelle McClain, support specialist. Six volunteers help man the phones Monday through Friday.

The 13 Call Centers in the state are part of the 2-1-1 Connects Alabama System. They work together to provide statewide access to the 2-1-1 network 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Alabama is the fourth state in the U.S. to implement the 2-1-1 system. The 2-1-1 network allows the Call Center volunteers to access information on more than 16,000 non-profit, state, faith-based and community organizations within the state of the Alabama. It has proven to be an invaluable resource during times of natural disasters and other emergencies. The system frees the 9-1-1 system from handling these types of inquiries for information about local services.

The Dothan office covers seven southeastern Alabama counties - Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston.

Duke says the local center’s growth is a tribute to the people who came on board to launch the program.

“I’ve never worked with a group that is really passionate about helping their community like our staff and volunteers,” Duke said. “We’re excited about where we came from this year. And we’re just as excited about what’s on the horizon.”

Agencies, faith-based groups and other community-minded organizations are encouraged to register their services with Wiregrass United Way 2-1-1. The administrative office number for the local Call Center is 836-1963.

For more information about the program, visit 211US.org or 211connectsalabama.org.