FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Linda Pankow, Manager/211 Help Line @ 433-3900, ext. 240

               Cliff Smith, President/United Way of Lee County @ 433-2000

 Need Help? Dial 211
United Way of Lee County Launches UPGRADED Human Service HELP LINE

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Aug. 15, 2003) – Getting help in Lee County is now as simple as dialing 211. With the launch of United Way of Lee County’s 211 Help Line, three digits plug people in need into the area’s network of health and human service agencies. The line is staffed by specialists who are trained to assess callers’ needs, provide information around the clock and refer people to help ranging from financial assistance, food and shelter to counseling and support services.

            211 is a national abbreviated dialing code that was introduced in 1997 in the Atlanta area. Lee County is the 9^th community in Florida and only the 80^th in the entire country to offer the free service. Currently 23 percent of the United States can access 211 services.

            “People understand and depend on reaching emergency police and fire services through 911, and getting telephone directory assistance by dialing 411,” said Susie Lambert, chief operating officer of Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center and chair of the United Way 211 Committee. “Distressed people search for help every day, finding dozens of phone numbers and a confusing maze of agencies and services. 211 makes it easier, both for people who need help and for agencies that get calls for services they don’t provide.”

            The 211 line will operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week, serving the elderly, disabled and non-English speakers; those who are incapacitated by crisis or who are new to the community; and employers, service providers and businesses searching for help for employees and clients. 211 staff will answer the line during regular business hours; Abuse Counseling and Treatment staff will answer after hours, weekends and holidays. This cooperative partnership between United Way and ACT, which serves victims of domestic violence, allows the line to be cost-efficiently operated at all times.
           “United Way of Lee County is perfectly positioned to spearhead 211,”said United Way President Cliff Smith. “We incorporated the AgeLink/HelpLink information and referral program into our operations last year, and we already have strong working relationships with the 60 United Way partner agencies we support as well as many other agencies and others throughout the region. Providing the 211 program also will help us monitor and track both unmet needs in our community and services that need to be expanded.”

            Some pay phones, cell phones and hotel/motel-room phones cannot access 211. The service can be reached by dialing 433-3900 from those phones.

            “Another group of users for the 211 line are those who want to give back to the community through volunteerism, donations or civic involvement,” said John Fritts, executive vice president of Florida Gulf Bank and United Way board chair. “The Information and Referral specialists can match volunteers and donors with appropriate programs and services.”

            The 211 program is a partnership between United Way of Lee County, Lee County Government, Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Abuse Counseling and Treatment and Publix Super Markets.               
            United Way of Lee County has been “the way our community cares” since 1957. The United Way supports a network of 60 agencies that promote health and independence for the sick, elderly and disabled; nurture children and families; empower communities; and provide safety nets for people in crisis. Among the agencies that receive funding from the United Way of Lee County are Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs of Lee County, Child Care of Southwest Florida and Harry Chapin Food Banks of Southwest Florida. These agencies helped more than 300,000 people in Lee County last year. For more information, call 433-2000, or visit www.leeunitedway.org.