2-1-1 Calls refelect economy

2-1-1 the statewide information and referral service for the State of Connecticut has just come out with statistics for the period from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 and they are very reflective of what's happening with the local and state economy. Nearly 10,000 calls were made from the Valley during the year, and the number one service request by a wide margin was for information about utilities and heat. At the start of last year's heating season, fuel prices had sky rocketed, and there was real concern that some would not make it through the winter. Fortunately, fuel prices moderated and more state and federal assistance was made available.

Closely connected to the economy were calls for information about housing and shelter, public and financial assistance and food. One that most people don't necessarily think of but came up as the second most requested service in the Valley is outpatient mental health care. When you think about it, that is really not that surprising with the current economic situation. We are fortunate in the Valley to have a number of quality counseling services that can be of help.

During the last few months, we saw a dramatic increase in FEMA funding coming into the area that will have some impact on these problems, and we also saw major food drives by Griffin Hospital and the letter carriers which have helped to alleviate food problems. However, there are still many needs out there int he community, and 2-1-1 serves as a starting point for those in need to connect with the resources available for providing help.

2-1-1 is an incredible service, and Connecticut is the national model for the system. It is the first state to provide the service on a 24 hour a day, 365 day a year basis. There is currently a push to make the system nationwide, and Congress is currently deciding on the legislation to create the system. More information is available at http://211us.org/. We are fortunate in Connecticut that we already have the system in place - just ask the 10,000 people from the Valley who used the service during the past year!