SANTA ROSA, February 11, 2009 – Finding help in Sonoma County is easier than ever before:on February 11 – “2-1-1 Day” – United Way of the Wine Country, the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, County of Sonoma and Community Foundation Sonoma County announced the county-wide launch of 2-1-1 Sonoma County phone service.
By simply dialing 2-1-1, SonomaCounty residents can reach a caring, trained specialist, who will match their needs with local community services, such as flu-shot information, senior services, employment assistance, summer camps, and much more.Available 24 hours a day, in more than 150 languages, 2-1-1 is also an integral component of SonomaCounty’s disaster-response infrastructure.
Nationally, 2-1-1 serves 75 percent of the American public.In the Bay Area, 2-1-1 was introduced in San FranciscoCounty in early 2006, in Santa ClaraCounty in early 2007, AlamedaCounty in mid 2007, and Contra Costa, Napa, Marin and SolanoCounties in 2008. Today’s announcement celebrates the completion of the region-wide launch of the 2-1-1.
Over the last twenty-six years, the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, with the collaboration of United Way and CommunityFoundationSonomaCounty, has provided Information & Referral (I&R) service in SonomaCounty.2-1-1 will build upon and improve the current Information & Referral service by ensuring the most effective and efficient delivery of community information.
Walter Collins, President & CEO of United Way of the Wine Country, said, “Finding help in SonomaCounty is now easier than ever before: by simply dialing 2-1-1, residents can quickly connect with local community services that meet their needs.”He noted that without 2-1-1, people often make up to 9 phone calls before finding the correct service, while many give up before getting the help they need.
Executive Director Eunice Valentine said, “SonomaCounty is proud to be a model 2-1-1 service area that is financially supported by the county and the private sector. This leveraged public-private partnership is based on the knowledge that 2-1-1 is a vital public communication vehicle through which individuals, families and whole communities gain access to comprehensive and up-to-date health, housing and human service information.”
2-1-1 Sonoma County Program Director Bill Myatt said, “2-1-1 is simple, easy-to-remember, toll-free, and available 24-7. Both on a daily basis and in times of disaster, 2-1-1 is the one number people need to know to get help and information."
About 2-1-1 SonomaCounty
2-1-1 SonomaCounty is a public-private partnership between United Way of the Wine Country, Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, County of Sonoma and CommunityFoundationSonomaCounty. Founding partners include PG&E, Abbey, Weitzenberg, Warren & Emery, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Kaiser Permanente, The Abacot Fund and Jean Schulz.
2-1-1 SonomaCounty Fact Sheet
What is 2-1-1?
For every day needs and in times of disaster, 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember, toll-free phone number that connects Sonoma County residents with local community services, such as food, shelter, counseling, employment assistance, quality child care and more.2-1-1 is confidential and available 24 hours a day in more than 150 languages.2-1-1 also serves as a vital link for individuals seeking to volunteer and provide resources to nonprofit organizations.
Number of health and human service agencies in 2-1-1 SonomaCounty databases:
515 agencies and 1.074 different services
2-1-1’s role in disaster response and recovery
·2007 Southern California Wildfires:The importance of 2-1-1 during disaster was underscored during the October 2007 wildfires in Southern California, where 2-1-1 San Diego call volume peaked at 30,000 calls a day – up from 800 daily – as residents sought information about evacuation sites, road closures, shelters, medical assistance, pet and large-animal care, and more.
·2005 Hurricane Katrina:Calls to Texas’ statewide 2-1-1 system increased from 2,500 to more than 10,000 a day after the storm as people sought food, shelter and other assistance.Three weeks after Katrina, more than 170,000 Texas callers had received 2-1-1 assistance.
·In the Sonoma County: When a major disaster strikes Sonoma County, 2-1-1 will provide residents with critical information about evacuation routes, food and shelter, as well as support with finding new jobs and permanent housing during long-term recovery.
History of 2-1-1
·In the U.S.:Started in Atlanta in 1997, 2-1-1 currently reaches approximately 198 million people through 2-1-1 systems covering all or part of 41 states. In 2000, responding to advocacy by the Alliance of Information & Referral Systems (AIRS) and United Way of America, the Federal Communications Commission agreed to designate 2-1-1 as the nationwide three-digit community services telephone number.In January 2007, both houses of Congress re-introduced the Calling for 2-1-1 Act, which, if passed, will authorize $250 million to state entities to help implement and sustain 2-1-1.
History of 2-1-1 (continued)
·In California:The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) ruled in 2003 that 2-1-1 service would be established on a county-by-county basis, as opposed to deploying a statewide system.California’s first 2-1-1 service launched on February 11, 2005 in VenturaCounty.In Southern California, 2-1-1 is available inVentura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and San BernardinoCounties.
What's the difference between 2-1-1, 4-1-1, 9-1-1, etc.?
2-1-1:Community services
4-1-1:Directory assistance
5-1-1:Traffic and transit
6-1-1:AT&T repair service
7-1-1:California relay for hearing impaired
8-1-1:“Call before you dig” for locating underground utility lines
