Press Releases
2-1-1 helps 3,000 area residents in first week of service
SAN DIEGO, July 7, 2005 -- 2-1-1, San Diego County's new three-digit dialing code for quick access to community, health and disaster information has helped 3,000 callers since its June 30 debut.
"The response has been phenomenal, and now much of the region knows that non-emergency help is only a short phone call away," reports Sara Matta, 2-1-1 San Diego's Executive Director. "We have been delighted that so many people support this new, community-based resource. The press, in particular, have been very helpful about getting out the word to San Diego's communities, and the public has responded by trying the service."
Matta says 2-1-1 answered 635 calls on June 30th and continued to field around 250 calls a day throughout the long Fourth of July weekend. "Some people are still a little unclear that the kind of 'community information' 2-1-1 provides is referrals to health and human services organizations in their neighborhood," Matta laughs. "We had a few calls on Monday from people who wanted to know where they could go to watch fireworks."
"2-1-1 is an innovative response to residents' need for referrals to childcare providers, low-cost health care for the uninsured, substance abuse treatment information for a family member, or opportunities to volunteer with a favorite agency," clarifies Laura Spiegel, Executive Director of the First 5 Commission of San Diego County. First 5, the school-readiness children's initiative created by the statewide Proposition 10 tobacco tax, provided half of 2-1-1 San Diego's start-up funding.
2-1-1's first week call volume represented a 78% increase over the level in mid-June, when the service had been activated and was operating in testing mode. 2-1-1 is the successor service to INFO LINE, a countywide helpline that operated for 35 years with an existing base of around 70,000 regular users. Cell phone and other users who have trouble dialing 2-1-1 can access the service using (858) 300-1-211.
2-1-1 San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded by First 5, San Diego County, SDG&E, United Way, and numerous other private foundations and individual donors. Businesses and organizations that would like to post 2-1-1 posters on community bulletin boards are encouraged to call 2-1-1 Customer Service at (858) 300-1200 or submit requests through the 2-1-1 website at www.211sandiego.org.
Contact:
Daisy Gordon Crompton,
