2-1-1 New Hampshire can connect residents with any local service imaginable.
How many times do people complain of a scenario like this:
Person: Well, I need help, and I was given your number.
Agency 1: Oh, well, we don't handle your particular situation. You should try to call [Insert the name of another agency here].
Person: Oh, okay, thanks. [Click. Dial. Ring, ring...] Hi, I need help, and I was given your number.
Agency 2: Well, we an help with that and that, but not this. You should call [Insert agency 1 here].
Person: But they just gave me your number!
In the world of people needing help with social services, it happens more often than not. Many times, families in need of help never know where to start.
In 2008, New Hampshire became one of 43 states that has 2-1-1, an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers, at no cost, to information about critical health and human services available in their community. 2-1-1 is also available at www.211nh.org. 2-1-1 provides information on hundreds of areas from A to Z, everything from AARP to zoning.
If your family is one of the many across the state facing eviction for non-payment of rent, or if your house is in foreclosure, 2-1-1 can give you contact information for shelters in the state. They can provide you contact information for your local Health and Human Services office if you need to apply for food stamps, Medicaid or Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF). They can also tell you how to contact your local Women, Infants and Children (WIC) office if you are pregnant or have children younger than 5 in your home. 2-1-1 also has lists of food pantries for families. It also has access to information that may be relevant to caring for an elderly parent, or for a child with a special need.
The website is easy to use, allowing NH residents to browse by category, or do a more localized search, with a place to input their zip code, and other non-identifying, but helpful, information. Or, residents can dial 2-1-1 from in-state or 1-866-444-4211 from out of state, and speak with a knowledgeable referral specialist.
2-1-1 NH is an initiative led by United Ways of New Hampshire (UWNH), an organization that represents the 10 United Ways across the state, in partnership with the State of New Hampshire, Citizens Bank Foundation, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Exeter Hospital, and Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH).
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