Human services agencies have three-digit numbers

    The nationally recognized telephone number for emergencies is 9-1-1. There are other three-digit numbers ending in 1-1 that people can dial to summon a variety of non-emergency services. For instance, every resident in Iowa can dial 2-1-1 to find out information about health and human services. First Call for Help Iowa Inc. is the organization that fields those calls from Washington County. First Call for Help Iowa, Inc. receives calls from 24 counties in eastern Iowa and is a subsidiary of the United Way of East Central Iowa.

    Chris Juett is the 2-1-1 program manager for First Call for Help Iowa Inc. She explained that her organization takes calls about a wide range of concerns within the field of human services. She said people call to get information on basic needs, such as where they can find clothing outlets or food pantries. People also call 2-1-1 in the winter to find out if they can receive heating assistance and holiday assistance. They can also call to learn about free tax preparation services.

    United Way 2-1-1, as it is commonly known, started in east central Iowa in 2004. Juett said that prior to that time, the United Way supplied information and referrals to callers but not from a simple three-digit number. She said that it has been a struggle to get telecommunications companies to recognize 2-1-1, even in its sixth year. She also said that 2-1-1 was not well known when the service started but that has changed in recent years.

    Juett said the United Way of East Central Iowa did a public opinion poll three years ago in which it asked people if they had heard of 2-1-1. At that time, 26 percent of respondents said they had. Juett said that United Way conducted the poll again this year and the number increased to 48 percent of respondents who said they had heard of 2-1-1.

    ?There are some pockets of the state where 2-1-1 is widely known, and other parts that could do more marketing,? said Juett.

For the full story, see the June 3 edition of The Washington Evening Journal