Q: What is 2-1-1?
A: 2-1-1 is a free, non-emergency, confidential service that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Mandarin, and 140 other languages. For everyday needs and in times of crisis, 2-1-1 provides streamlined access to critical health and human services such as food, shelter, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention, employment assistance, and so much more. It also serves as a link for individuals seeking to volunteer, provide resources, or assist during a crisis in Santa Clara County.
2-1-1 is also a valuable tool when disasters strike because people can quickly and easily receive critical information.
Q: Who calls 2-1-1 Santa Clara County?
A: 2-1-1 Santa Clara County is an information and referral service for everyone in the community regardless of income; it is available to the public 24-hours a day, seven days per week, in English, Spanish and 140 other languages.
People call for a variety of reasons:
- Adult children seeking services for elderly parents
- People wanting to donate time, money, or goods
- Laid-off workers struggling to feed their families
- People impacted by a disaster trying to connect with loved ones
Q: Who answers 2-1-1 Santa Clara County?
A: In Santa Clara County, 2-1-1 calls are answered by 2-1-1 Call Specialists, who have accurate information available 24-hours a day, seven days per week, in English, Spanish and 140 other languages. To ensure all calls are answered in a timely manner, calls will be answered at Interface Family and Children Services by experienced call specialists, who have access to the same information as our local specialists.
Q: Do other counties and states have access to 2-1-1?
A: As of February 2013, 2-1-1 serves over 283 million Americans (90.6% of the entire population) covering all 50 states plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico (39 states plus DC and PR enjoy 100% coverage).
Q: What is the cost of running 2-1-1 Santa Clara County?
A: Based on educated estimates, United Way Silicon Valley and its advisory committee anticipate 2-1-1 will cost $1.3 million annually to offer the service to the 1.7 million people living in Santa Clara County. Through its unique partnership with Interface, the call center in Ventura County, United Way Silicon Valley maximized public and private funding by eliminating the expense of developing a full local center, while still offering quality service and accurate information. United Way has also developed a revenue plan to ensure it is available local residents now and for years to come.
Q: Who is paying for 2-1-1 Santa Clara County?
A: 2-1-1 SCC is being funded through an innovative Public/Private Venture. United Way Silicon Valley raised funds from government entities, private donors, corporations, and community-based organizations. United Way’s Board of Directors approved an initial investment of $150,000 a year for two years that was used as “seed” money to launch fundraising activities.
Q: Why is 2-1-1 Santa Clara County part of United Way Silicon Valley?
A: United Way Silicon Valley led the effort to bring 2-1-1 to Santa Clara County and now, is one of its authorized programs. A revenue plan is in place to support the information and referral service to ensure it is available to help local people for years to come.
A robust information/referral service for the community is critical as a foundation for United Way’s new investment strategies related to stability and economic self-sufficiency.
Q: How does 2-1-1 Santa Clara County fit into United Way Silicon Valley’s new asset investment strategy and focus on priority areas?
A: United Way Silicon Valley’s most recent needs assessment underscores the types of services required by people in Santa Clara County. The information and referral service aligns with United Way Silicon Valley’s community investment strategy by providing a critical link for local people to hundreds of community services simply by calling 2-1-1. Local people can receive accurate information in English, Spanish, and 140 other languages, in their search for food, shelter, counseling, and education, among many other topics.
As United Way Silicon Valley transforms itself from a traditional fundraising institution to a progressive community solutions provider, 2-1-1 supports its work to increase stability and economic self-sufficiency for people living in Santa Clara County.
Q: I can’t access 2-1-1 from my office phones. What should I do?
A: Some workplaces block “N11” calls like 411 because they charge callers, but 2-1-1 is free. If your business has an internal phone system or PBX, it may need to be programmed to recognize 2-1-1 as a valid and complete number. Find out more about it here.