It may be one of the best kept secrets in Kansas, yet it served thousands of Sunflower State residents last year, hundreds of those in Golden Belt.
That is unfortunate, said Delane Butler, vice president of marketing for the Wichita-based United Way of the Plains. He referred to the free-to-use statewide 2-1-1 phone system which connects the needy with those willing to help.
“The more people know about it, the more people will likely call so we can help them find needed services,” he said. “It is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects people with important community services and volunteer opportunities.”
And it gets used. United Way 2-1-1 of Kansas took 67,404 calls in 2012, with 233 calls from Barton County and 35 from Pawnee County.
“I don’t think people know just how important that number is,” said Julie Bugner Smith, executive director of the United Way of Central Kansas which serves 21 agencies in Barton and Pawnee counties. The UWCK is in the midst of its 2014 campaign, having reached the 60 percent mark of a $250,000 goal.
“I refer people all the time to 2-1-1,” Smith said.
“Only 1 percent of our goal goes to the national United Way and the rest stays local,” Smith said. “This is one of the many services they provide for that nominal contribution to the national agency.”
In 2000, the Federal Communications Commission assigned the 2-1-1 phone number to be used only for community information and referral nationwide. The service is now available in all 50 states, although not all have statewide coverage (90.6 percent of the nation’s population is covered).
Kansas has total coverage.
Butler said United Way of the Plains runs the 2-1-1 of Kansas program that serves most of the state of Kansas. Seven counties in the Kansas City area are served by the 2-1-1 service provided by the United Way of Greater Kansas City.
The Kansas network maintains a statewide database with over 1,000 agencies and 3,000 programs and continually recruits new agencies for the database. Programs listed are at governmental and nonprofit agencies, including those not funded by United Way.
The service doesn’t provide money to the callers, Smith said. It is only a “one-stop lifeline” to put people in touch with the resources they’re looking for
It is staffed by rained call specialists who help callers understand their problems and make informed decisions regarding possible solutions.
What services are available? There are many, Butler said. Among them are:
• Resources for basic human needs: food banks, clothing closets, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance.
• Support for older individuals and persons with disabilities: adult day care, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, home health care, transportation, homemaker services.
• Support for children, youth and families: child care, after-school programs, Head Start, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services.
• Physical and mental health resources: Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, Children’s Health Insurance Program, health clinics, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation.
• Employment supports: job training, transportation assistance, education programs.
Beyond helping those in need, Smith said 2-1-1 is a clearing house for people who want to volunteer.
The 2-1-1 system is also a tool in the event of a crisis. During a disaster, one call can connect people to needed human services and quickly connect volunteers to local needs.
In addition, it can act as a social barometer by providing statistical information on what needs callers are presenting county by county throughout the state. It also helps maintain the integrity of the 911 system by saving that vital service for life and death emergencies.
“2-1-1 strengthens the community by uniting people in the area who want to help with those who need help,” Butler said.
Sponsors – Kansas Health Foundation, Capitol Federal, Cessna Aircraft Company, Preferred Health Systems and Royal Caribbean International – provided the start-up funding for 2-1-1 of Kansas. Now, general contributions to United Way help keep it running.
Statewide service is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information is also available online at www.211kansas.org.
 All calls are confidential.