United Way, Ontario 211 urge people to make the right call

Wednesday, Feb. 11, is 211 Day across North America. To mark this occasion, staff with the United Way of Bruce Grey and the 211 Ontario helpline are asking residents to make the right call if they want or need help.

 

Call 2-1-1 for information on your community, social and health services, if you don’t know where to turn with a problem. Call 9-1-1 for threats or harm to a person or property that require police, fire or ambulance services. Knowing the right number to call will help residents find the right services for their situation and has the potential to reduce inappropriate calls to 911 from residents.

 

“211 is an easy-to-remember phone number like 911," says Francesca Dobbyn, executive director of the United Way of Bruce Grey. "211 is answered by highly-trained specialists who know our community services and can refer callers to services near them. 211 has information not only on services United Way supports but all our community’s social, health and government services that can help you with any number of life’s challenges.”

 

The Ontario 211 helpline is answered live, 24 hours a day, every day of the year including holidays. Residents are encouraged to call 211 for services, such as food banks if they are hungry, mental health support if they are stressed, or for the non-emergency police number if they need the police but it is not an emergency.

 

“It is our goal to educate those callers seeking assistance, as to when it is most appropriate to call 211 or 911," says inspector Vince Wurfel of the Owen Sound Police Service. "Both numbers provide callers with valuable resources but are quite different in their purpose. It is important that callers do not tie up 911 operators with calls that do not require emergency response from police, fire or ambulance services. Appropriate use of these service numbers assists those in need, toward receiving the proper services they require in the most effective and efficient manner.”

 

“211 is your one-stop shop to find services that are often provided by any of the three levels of government, charities and non-profit organizations," says Pam Hillier, executive director of Community Connection, the local 211 regional service provider. "Everything from finding the phone number for Telehealth Ontario to tax clinics for seniors and low-income people to homework clubs and seniors’ centres. We do not provide information on businesses.”

 

The 211 database is updated by trained Information Resource Specialists, and is supported by the United Way agencies in Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. Interpretation of calls is available in more than 150 languages.
 

Call 2-1-1 for:

• Non-emergency police number
• Food banks
• Walk-in clinics
• Alzheimer support
• Mental health help
• Meals on Wheels
• Emergency shelters for homeless
• Services for domestic violence victims
• Public health
• Telehealth Ontario
• Crisis services
• Provincial and local helpline phone numbers
• Settlement help for newcomers
• Housing help centres
• Youth drop-in programs
• Child, youth and family counselling
• Emergency utility assistance
• Understanding which government service to contact for assistance
• Disability support programs
• Parenting programs

Call 9-1-1 immediate in the case of an emergency

An emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police, fire department or paramedics, such as:

• A fire
• A crime, especially if in progress
• A car crash, especially if someone is injured
• A medical emergency, such as someone who is unconscious, gasping for air or not breathing, experiencing an allergic reaction, having chest pain, having uncontrollable bleeding, or any other symptoms that require immediate medical attention