Take a minute to remember the last time you needed to ask for help. How did it make you feel? Were you able to find the assistance you needed?
Maybe you were on the side of the road with a flat tire. Maybe you needed to call in sick for work. Maybe you needed help making a decision, or maybe you just needed grandma to remind you of that holiday recipe. Maybe you needed help paying a bill.
Regardless, we’ve all been there—in the place of needing help. It’s an unavoidably human experience.
But what happens when you don’t know who to ask for help? When you’ve exhausted all of your options and feel at the end of your rope?
United Way’s 211 Helpline exists to ensure that help is always waiting at the other end of the line. 211 is there for our neighbors when there’s nowhere else to turn.
Help is One Call Away
211 is more than three numbers, it’s a lifeline for our community.
This past year alone, United Way responded to over 73,000 211 requests in Chattanooga. That’s over 73,000 neighbors who needed help keeping a roof over their heads, putting food on the table for their families, keeping their electricity on, or meeting other essential needs.
In total, we provided $765,000 in direct Emergency Assistance, helping almost 3,500 individuals in our community. That’s thousands of our neighbors who were able to find relief when they needed it most.
The stories that come to us from the 211 Helpline are powerful; they’re what motivate us to do what we do every day. Here’s one from just the other day, this December:
“211 United Way helped me at the lowest point of my life. The world we live in today is filled with hardship. I have been struggling between work and seeking prayer and inspiration from different churches, and it hasn’t been easy. However, Ms. Brittany from United Way opened her heart and helped me with rent.
Now, my kids and I have a roof over our heads for Christmas. Thank you, United Way, for making our world better.”
– A neighbor who called 211
When people reach the end of their line, United Way can step in to meet them where they’re at, connecting them to what they need to keep going, to thrive.
What if these neighbors had no one to call?
211 is for Everyone
Anyone can call, text, or email 211. Anyone can receive help from United Way of Greater Chattanooga. But this resource is especially vital to our ALICE neighbors.
As a reminder, ALICE stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. The most recent data from United for ALICE shows that 44% of children in Hamilton County are living below the ALICE threshold. Broadening the scope, we can see that 1 in 3 Hamilton County households can’t make ends meet.
1 in 3.
ALICE is your coworker, your classmate. ALICE is the person in front of you in the checkout line at the grocery store. ALICE is sitting next to you at church. ALICE is your neighbor. ALICE might be you.
And for anyone living at or below the ALICE threshold, having 211 available might be the difference between staying housed for the night, or having to live out of a car. 211 creates a safety net for neighbors who have nowhere else to turn.
Say Yes to Your Neighbors Today
Our Emergency Assistance Program Manager, Brittany Lockwood, shared that “saying ‘yes’ to our neighbors in need means a baby gets a bath tonight because the water was kept on. Someone’s oxygen won’t be interrupted because the utility bill was paid. A single mom can rest easy knowing she won’t have to move her kids to the car tonight because we’ve taken care of the rent.”
211 is a lifeline made possible, in large part, by donations from our community. Our donors help make and keep these vital resources accessible to all.
Donating to United Way means paving the way for a safer, brighter tomorrow for our entire community. Donating to United Way means we can step in and help out when neighbors find themselves on the brink of an unexpected crisis. Your local dollar stays local, helping build a more connected community where everyone has the resources and opportunity to thrive.
Your support can ensure that help is always waiting at the other end of the line.
Get Help: 211 Helpline and Online Resource Directory
Give Help: unitedwaycha.org/hope