Help Expand 2-1-1: An Emergency Line for the Poor

by Charlotte Hill · 2010-01-21 08:35:00 UTC
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Anyone who has called a hospital, police station or even electric company knows the standard automated greeting: "If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 9-1-1." This simple, three-digit number has been drilled into our heads since we were children (especially for those of us who, at the age of seven, failed to grasp its vital, life-saving role and prank-called the hotline's operators). 9-1-1 provides an essential service, offering immediate respite and comfort in our greatest times of need.

But what about those in our society whose daily lives are always "times of need"? An emergency isn't always as extreme as a toddler accidentally getting into the medicine cabinet; sometimes, it's as fundamental as a woman not having a safe place to sleep or a man lacking the resources to pay for his children's clothing. That's where 2-1-1 comes in.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the FCC's national reservation of the 2-1-1 code. While the number is active in all or part of 48 states, it's still not reaching 20% of the population, including a hefty chunk of poor America (including, when I last checked, my rural hometown in Northern California). Tell your representatives in Congress to expand 2-1-1 to all Americans.

According to the FCC, this phone code serves as "an easy-to-remember and universally recognizable number that would enable a critical connection between individuals and families in need and the appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies." Its target audience ranges from senior citizens to non-English speakers, from the disabled to "those who are having a personal crisis"; in sum, anyone who needs a helping hand and doesn't know where to turn. Operators responded to 14 million calls in 2008.

Especially during tough economic times, funding is always tight for communities wanting to embark on new projects, regardless of local legislators' good intentions. Luckily, there is an easy way to advocate for more federal funding of local 2-1-1 services -- sign our petition.

To learn more about 2-1-1 and see if it's available in your area, visit www.211us.org.

Photo credit: VancityAllie

Charlotte Hill currently serves as the social media fellow for EARN, a California nonprofit that helps low-income workers save money to create long-term prosperity.

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