Testimonials
On my way home I needed to pick up some items and dashed in a liquor store and about half way through I found myself crying! A homeless man asked me what the problem was and I said, “They are going to pull the plug on my dad tomorrow and I can’t even contact the doctor to talk to him about it!” The homeless man, said “Oh, you need to call 211, they will help you.”
And I said “They can’t possibly help me with this.” The homeless man said “Oh yes, they help with just about everything!” So the next morning I called 211 and someone on the line said they would help me. He called somewhere on my behalf with me and right after that the doctor called and we made a plan for my dad to recover…he is 81 years old now, in a wheelchair, but I have my dad… and I have 211 to thank.
How 2-1-1 Helps Testimonials
Sarah and CJ's Story
Sarah and CJ's Story
Sarah, a 211 Call Specialist at United Way of Stanislaus County loves to help families who call 2-1-1 get the help they need. People who call maybe extremely stressed and often embarrassed asking for help. She starts conversations cheerfully, “Stanislaus County 211, this is Sarah, how can I help you”.
A Call for Help
Recently Sarah took a call from a mom, CJ, who was inconsolable because her family’s rental had just been foreclosed on. She, her husband and their two small children, ages 5 and 8, had 30 days to move and no money for a deposit.
Call center employees begin with questions that will help determine what services are available for the caller including: Name, address, phone number, household size, children’s gender / age, race, marital status, source of income, monthly / yearly income, etc. They also will ask a series of questions to determine other possible needs.
Based on this questioning Sarah discovered not only that CJ’s family needed help with their housing situation, but also that CJ’s kids hadn’t seen a doctor or dentist for two years because her husband lost employer sponsored coverage.
Help Received
Housing: To help with the housing issue, Sarah gave CJ the number for a foreclosure assistance program started by UW Stanislaus that helps families who are losing their homes in the foreclosure crisis. The program leads families through all the options and helps them obtain counseling, loan modification, and referrals for rental housing and rental deposit assistance for those who had to leave their homes.
Healthcare: Sarah determined CJ’s family income of $55,000 was too high for the Healthy Families or MediCal programs. But, quotes for private insurance were $11,000, or one fifth of their income. Fortunately, Sarah was able to refer CJ to a program through Kaiser for children whose family income is too high for other health plans.
Food: Sarah also gave CJ the names and locations of food banks, in case she needed help in the future
In a routine follow-up call the next week, CJ had great news to share:
“Sarah, I can’t thank you enough. We are working with a housing counselor who is helping us find a house we can afford. AND we got a spot in temporary housing through the same agency. And Sarah, those food banks actually did help! Food prices are going up so fast, it helped to be able to get some stuff there. I’d never gone to a food bank before so it was a little scary at first but they were very kind and understanding.”