United Way’s 2-1-1 of WNC2010 Report to Our Community

2-1-1 of wnc is...a community service information line that links people to health and human services in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties.

...ACCESSIBLEPhone (land lines & cell phones)

Online and by E-mail24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a yearMultilingualFree/Confidential

3

2-1-1 helped me:• “gainmoreinfoaboutcommunity

servicesinatimelymanner”

• “withresourcesandleadstofollowinordertogetthehelpIneed”

• “bylisteningtome”

• “tofindfood”

• “locateasupportgroup”

• “getconnectedtotreatment”

• “findoptionsforhelpwithmyelectricbill”

• “receivetheinfothatwillpointmeintherightdirection”

• “tremendously”

Sampleresponsesfrom2010callersurvey

2-1-1 is nationally accredited by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS).

89 percent of callers surveyed stated they learned new information about community resources by calling 2-1-1.

85 percent of calls were answered within 30 seconds. When people call they talk to a local Referral Specialist.

...RESPONSIVE2-1-1 maintains a database with details about more than 2,000 local public and nonprofit programs.

...KNOWLEDGEABLE

...EFFECTIVE ...HIGH QUALITY

Calls (in/out) 54,605Call Records 38,146Online Database Visits 8,374

by the numbersBecause 2-1-1 of WNC talks to people from all walks of life and directs people to a wide range of community resources, we are in a unique position to notice trends in our community.

2-1-1 of WNC shares this information with community decision-makers such as local coalitions, area institutions, elected officials and more. This information can be helpful to those crafting or advocating for various public policies or community projects.

Referral���������� assessing the needs of callers and identifying appropriate resourcesInformation���� responding to specific inquiries about human servicesContract��������� providing services to callers via contracts with outside agenciesAdvocacy������� taking steps on behalf of callers to overcome barriers to servicesCrisis�������������� performing crisis intervention to ensure the safety of callers or others

44.5% 43.1%

10.4%

1.7%.2%

Call Types

2010 statistics

2008 36,763 2009 48,646 32% increase from 2008

2010 54,605 49% increase from 2008

Call Volume Trend

legend

5

Referral���������� assessing the needs of callers and identifying appropriate resourcesInformation���� responding to specific inquiries about human servicesContract��������� providing services to callers via contracts with outside agenciesAdvocacy������� taking steps on behalf of callers to overcome barriers to servicesCrisis�������������� performing crisis intervention to ensure the safety of callers or others

Basic Needs: 35%

Health Care: 12%

Organizational & Community Services: 12%

Individual & Family Life: 9%

Criminal Justice & Legal Services: 8%

Income Support & Employment: 8%

Mental Health Care & Counseling: 7%

Consumer Services: 5%

Environmental Quality: 2%

Education: 2%

2-1-1 Caller Needs byCategory and Volume

Medical Bill Payment$83,395

Home Rehab$12,500

Total Expressed: $879,159

Housing Expense $349,968

Utility Service Payment $341,020

Utility Deposit$31,421

Top 5 Needs By Financial Request

Housing& Shelter

Individual & Family Support

Food HealthServices

Utilities

Top 5 Needs By Volume19%

13%

6% 4%

12%

2-1-1 has served Buncombe County since 2001, Henderson County since 2003, Transylvania County since 2004 and Madison County since 2007.

We’re proud of our reach, yet as you can see on the map to the right, many people are still not using 2-1-1.

We want to be the first place people turn to for community service information, and we need your help to spread the word!

• Share our materials with your customers or employees.

• Invite us to speak at a staff meeting, civic group, professional association, or faith meeting.

• Link to our web site and forward our e-newsletter.

• Use 2-1-1 as a source of information about what resources exist and what people in our community need.

• Ensure accurate referrals by updating your organization’s listings in the 2-1-1 database.

A family called, searching for assistance with food after a

layoff. They never had to ask for help before, and our referral specialist was able to make the

process a little easier.

28753zip january

Taking advantage of 2-1-1’s ability to speak to people of all languages, a teacher is able to connect one of her student’s parents to ESL classes and

other helpful resources.

28791zip march

call volume by zip code

Legend2010 United Way 211 NeedsCount

1 - 2

3 - 14

15 - 63

64 - 98

99 - 186

187 - 307

308 - 395

396 - 846

847 - 1453

1454 - 2266

2267 - 3149

3150 - 9837

1-2

3-14

15-63

64-98

99-186

187-307

308-395

396-846

847-1453

1454-2266

2267-3149

3150-9837

help us reach more people

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marshall

asheville

hendersonville

brevard

The receptionist at a house of worship had someone come

to the door looking for housing assistance. She called 2-1-1 for the gentleman and let him speak directly to the referral

specialist.

28804zip

A man called about day care options for his aging mother. He lived in another state but his mother lived in Brevard so he was grateful to find a central place for all the information he needed.

28712zip november

august

real lives2-1-1 of WNC provides quality information to individuals and area professionals about a wide range of community health and human services and resources, many of which fall in the areas of EDUCATION, INCOME and HEALTH.

The previous statistics give us a sense of scope and scale. The stories that follow put a face to those numbers and remind us why we work to create opportunities and inspire hope for a better tomorrow.

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In 2010, 2-1-1 advocated for youth success by providing community program data to a group convened by United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. Community members, service providers and subject matter experts participated in a series of discussions to identify the best way to leverage United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County’s resources and create lasting change in one particular area of our community. The group identified middle school success as one of the key issues our community needs to address.

One of the initial steps to launching a middle school success project was to chart the existing resources. As a hub of local community service information, 2-1-1 provided a list of programs for middle school youth. Buncombe County GIS layered 2-1-1’s data onto a map of Asheville and Buncombe County, and this map was used as a planning tool by groups such as the Mayor’s RICH Task Force (Asheville).

This work furthers United Way’s efforts to strengthen the social and basic life skills that youth need for success. - told by Gina Gallo

United Way Youth Success Manager

EDUCATION

INCO

ME

HEA

LTH

I talk to kids, parents and teachers from across our county in my role with United Way. Everyone wants the best

for theirkidsandhavingqualityout-of-schoolexperiencesisoneofthetopthingsIhearthemtalkabout.

Having good data provided by 2-1-1 hashelpedmegetapictureofwhatexistsandhassupportedfact-baseddiscussionsabouthowtogetmore,quality,servicestoourkids.

Right now, I’m helping put together an afterschoolprogram formiddle school students intheOwenarea,and,youknow,justseeingthelookinaparent’seyewhentheyask“Canyoustart thisprogramnextweek?” inspiresme toworkevenharder.”

In 2010, 2-1-1 advocated for people who were homeless and at risk of homelessness through an initiative called Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Project (HPRP).

HPRP is a program that rapidly transitions people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to long-term housing stability through short-term assistance. 2-1-1 partnered with the City of Asheville, ABCCM, Eblen-Kimmel Charities, Pisgah Legal Services and Western North Carolina AIDS Project to implement this federal program in Asheville and Buncombe County.

2-1-1 conducted outreach and engagement to raise awareness about available services and offered information about HPRP to callers seeking help paying for or finding housing. 2-1-1 conducted pre-screenings for nearly 600 households and made referrals to HPRP providers for services such as case management, housing search and placement, financial assistance, and more.

This work furthers United Way’s efforts to increase availability and use of public and private services that provide basic needs assistance for people in crisis or with ongoing needs.

INCOMEED

UCA

TIO

N

HEA

LTH

Sherri called me in October, when she and her daughter were living in a tent. Sherriisasinglemotherwho

hadbecomehomelessafterlosingherjobandfalling behind in her rent. A family memberoffered to help, but his home was alreadycramped,soSherriandherdaughterputupatent.

Sherri hadgottenanew job,buther savingsweren’taddingupfastenoughtocovertheup-frontcosttomoveintoanewplace.Summerturnedintofall,andSherricalled2-1-1forhelpfindingawarmplaceforherandherdaughtertolive.

IconnectedSherriwithaprogramcalledHPRP.WhenIfollowedupwithheraweeklater,shewas carrying groceries up the stairs into hernewhome.

- told by Keith2-1-1 Referral Specialist

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Kate’s sister had been diagnosed with cervical cancer 6 months prior, so she jumped at the chance

when I offered to provide information about cancer prevention. Kate wasuninsured, hadnot had an exam in over tenyears, and was afraid about possibly havingundiagnosedissues.Shesaidthatifhersisterhadbeenabletogetanexamearly,theymayhavebeenabletodiagnoseherashavingHPV,treathermuchsooner,andavoidthesurgeryand radiation therapies that she received forhercancer.

Asa resultof calling2-1-1,KatewasenrolledinMyBodyMyTest.ShereceivedahomeHPVtestkitandgotano-costpelvicexamatalocalclinic. When I called Kate back to follow-up,shesaidthatshewasrelievedtolearnthatshedid not have HPV or cancer andwas happytobeconnectedwithresourcesforcontinuedpreventativehealthcare.

- told by Rachel2-1-1 Referral Specialist

HEALTHIN

COM

E

EDU

CATI

ON

In 2010, 2-1-1 advocated for women’s health through an initiative call My Body My Test.

My Body My Test is a research study to help prevent cervical cancer by enabling women to test for HPV at home and connecting them with clinics for additional services. 2-1-1 partnered with UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health to reach out to women in Western North Carolina.

2-1-1 has a relationship with people who need help, so partnering with My Body My Test was a good way to reach people who could potentially benefit from the service.

2-1-1 pre-screened 500 high-risk individuals and made 172 referrals for this health intervention.

This work furthers United Way’s efforts to increase awareness of and opportunities for wellness, prevention and early detection.

Contact us

• Call 2-1-1 • E-mail 211info@unitedwayabc.org • Contact your local representative:

Buncombe CountyRachael Nygaard, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County(828) 255-0696

Henderson CountySandy McGlashan, United Way of Henderson County(828) 692-1636

Madison CountySteve Garrison, Madison County Government(828) 649-5854

Transylvania CountySteve Pulliam, United Way of Transylvania County(828) 883-8822

Our Partners United Way’s 2-1-1 of WNC is a collaborative effort between the United Ways and county governments of Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania Counties.

Underwriting In addition to funding provided by the partners listed above, we thank the following underwriting sponsors:

platinum gold

Progress EnergyBlue Ridge X-Ray

cover art: using 2-1-1 caller survey responses to the question “how did 2-1-1 help you?” we created this wordle. what’s a wordle? it is a weighted list in a visual design. survey results are fed into a program and the more often a word is mentioned in the survey the bigger it appears.

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