59° P/SUNNY, New 211 help line up and running in Sonoma County
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 5:40 p.m.
Sonoma County’s 211 non-emergency information and referral phone system started today, the culmination of efforts to bring local residents better access to health, food and shelter.
About 30 people gathered Wednesday morning to celebrate the kick-off. They were mainly members of the lead agencies and several local service agencies included in the data base of the 211 system.
“We are excited. It’s up and running. It’s live,” said Walter Collins, head of the United Way of the Wine Country, one of four local agencies spearheading the effort.
The other lead agencies are the County of Sonoma, the Volunteer Center and Community Foundation. This year’s budget for the program is $220,000, which will be shared by the four.
The 211 service is available every day, 24 hours a day. Operators have computer information from hundreds of agencies and services available and will give callers phone numbers of who can help them.
The program already is established throughout much of the United States and California.
Callers to such centers typically need information about health issues or basic living needs such as food, shelter, transportation and shelter, said organizers.
During a disaster, the program can be a quick way for people to learn about relative services and save emergency dispatchers from fielding non-emergency calls.
Without the program, finding answers to those needs can be difficult for many people unfamiliar with county services or available agencies.
“What’s great about 211 is it takes the mystery out of finding the right services,” said Shirlee Zane, new Sonoma County supervisor and longtime CEO of the Council on Aging, a non-profit service providing aid to the elderly.
Organizers touted the easy to remember three-digit number and that the system has access to a translation service covering 160 languages.
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