United Way Launches Yamhill 2-1-1

Yamhill 2-1-1 Information and Referral Connects People to Needed Resources

SALEM, Oregon—There is good news for residents of Yamhill County. Finding answers to health and human service questions is much easier thanks to Yamhill 2-1-1. Just as people call 9-1-1 for emergencies and 4-1-1 for directory assistance, callers throughout Yamhill County are now able to dial 2-1-1 and speak with a trained referral specialist about critical health and human services available to the community. The multi-lingual information and referral service, launched in August by Yamhill County Commission on Children and Families, United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley and 211info, puts people in touch with those who can help them address health and human service issues. The service is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout Yamhill County. In an emergency, the 2-1-1 service can also provide public health information.

“Every day, someone in our community needs essential services,” said Marilyn Kennelly, Director of Yamhill County’s Commission on Children and Families. “People often don’t know where to turn and sometimes go without those necessary and readily available services. Yamhill 2-1-1 helps connect them with the information they need.”

The 2-1-1 Call Center is staffed by professionally trained and certified information and referral specialists, who assess callers’ needs and make the appropriate referral using a comprehensive database of community services. Although more than 80% of the U.S. population has access to 2-1-1, prior to the introduction of Yamhill 211, the only Oregon residents with access to the service were in the Portland metropolitan area and Central Oregon.

“A centralized database of services, with a single access point, has been identified by local agencies as an important, unmet need,” said Mikki Trowbridge, United Way Community Impact Director. “Partnering to bring 2-1-1 to Yamhill County reflects United Way’s commitment to invest in programs that make a lasting improvement in the communities we serve.”

The Yamhill 2-1-1 system is also a critical information system during and after a community emergency such as a flood, fire, or severe weather incident. It can field calls regarding the crisis and direct callers to services most appropriate for their needs, maintaining access of the 9-1-1 system for life threatening situations.

Gayle Caldarazzo, Executive Director of United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley, said, “With Yamhill -2-1-1, we’re strengthening connections between those who need help and those who can provide answers and assistance. United Way is committed to this project and are working to see it evolve throughout our three counties”

Yamhill 2-1-1 is operated, and initial funding provided, through a partnership between United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley, Yamhill County Commission on Children and Families and 211info. Efforts seeking state support are underway and the Calling for 2-1-1 Act seeks to authorize federal funding to develop and sustain 2-1-1 programs across the nation. The goal is to broaden the funding base to a minimum of four partners to ensure long-term sustainability.

To contact Yamhill 2-1-1, dial 2-1-1 from anywhere in Yamhill County or access the online database at http://www.Yamhill211.org. For more information on Yamhill 2-1-1, contact, Marilyn Kennelly, Yamhill County Commission on Children and Families (503) 474-4923, or Mikki Trowbridge, United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley (503) 363-1651.

About Yamhill County Commission on Children and Families
The Commission on Children and Families’ legislative mandate is to assist government, service providers, non-profits, communities and families to work together to help families become healthier and more self-sufficient. The Commission is made up of 19 community volunteers who are appointed by the Board of Commissioners. The Commission volunteers provide the foundational direction for the work of the department staff.

About United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley
United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley is mobilizing our community’s resources to create sustained change and improve lives by partnering with non-profits, government, corporate and private-sector leaders. United Way supports agencies and programs devoted to improving lives in Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties by focusing its work on Education, Income and Health.

About 2-1-1 and 211info
2-1-1 is the three digit number set aside by the federal Communications Commission (FCC) in July 2000 for the sole purpose of providing health and human service information and referral (I&R). Similar to 911 for emergency services and 411 for directory assistance, 2-1-1 is the three digit number to dial for health and human service information and referral.
211info was originally formed in Portland in 1978 as Metro Crisis Intervention Services, operating a crisis and suicide hotline. In 1997 the organization shifted its focus to providing information and referral phone services under the name Guide Line, Inc. funded largely by the United Way of the Columbia Willamette. 211info was formed in 2003 as the result of United Way funding efforts, the advent of the three digit dialing code, and the partnership of basic I&R programs from local counties.