211 San Diego

I toured the facility one year ago in 02 – 14 and it seems ok, kind of like a glorified helpdesk… Don’t know if the people or resources are any good… I know Kaiser was taking over their building so they had to move… other then that… I am sure they do a GREAT job!

I have a young couple staying with me that need services. I took them to Store Front, and because of her situation, they couldn’t help them. She suggested 211. What a total waste of time. I found out more on the internet myself. Is this paid for by public monies? I certainly hope not, as they really offer nothing more than the phone book offers. :-p

Recently my husband’s employer reduced his hours to part-​time. This meant we lost all of our benefits and a big chunk of income. I have a friend who used to work for 211 and she recommended we give them a call. What a complete and utter waste of time. The first representative I spoke with did not volunteer any information. I had to ask questions in multiple ways to find out what help was out there. It felt like I was prying the information out of her. She only suggested a couple of things, sent my information to a Medi-​Cal representative and gave me a couple of phone numbers. Mostly it felt like she didn’t really know what to tell me and just wanted to get off the phone. When the Medi-​Cal representative called, she got impatient with me and after 9 minutes on the phone told me she had other appointments and that I would need to find another way to apply. We have found far more information and been able apply for far more assistance by doing our own research. They say there is no judgement or stigma. There is also no care.

Four years ago I went to my employer’s HR department looking for help with dealing with my debt.
They told me about 211.
At first, I thought it was an odd recommendation… they were just blowing me off.
Not the case at all. 211 referred me to Money Management International… a non-​profit debt management organization.
An initial sit down with a counselor enables you to work out a payment plan with all creditors at an average interest rate of around 5%.
At the beginning, my debt was over $ 20k. Now, its down to $ 2500 and my credit score is super high.
Check out their site:
Best financial decision I ever made!

According to their flier, «Every hour of every day, someone in San Diego County searches for services, from substance abuse treatment to care for a child or aging parent, food, housing or financial assistance. More than 2,000 community agencies provide 5,000 health and human service programs.» Trying to find your way through this overwhelming maze can seem insurmountable, but 211 help is at hand.
Since being introduced in 1997, 211 dialing already has reached 198 million people across the nation. By dialing 211, you are linked to a «live, highly-​trained Information & Referral Specialist who will navigate you through your situation by assessing your needs and then matching you to the best resource in your community,» says the 211 website. Assistance is confidential and offered in more than 150 languages.
The Community Chaplaincy program I am in works closely with 211-​especially in regard to disaster relief. During a disaster, 211 coordinates with the County of San Diego’s Office of Emergency Services to provide public information to the community and trend analysis to County officials. 211 can also act as the central communications point for other community agencies and non-​governmental organizations, like the Rock Church, which will have it’s own disaster preparedness program in place.
So really, 211 is like a jack-​of-​all-​trades assistance line. Rather than clog up the Emergency 911 line, 211 takes the heat off that lifeline and opens up a 24-​hour, comprehensive resource for people to access Information and Referral (I&R). As an entry point for human care services for children, families and individuals seeking help, 211 San Diego is a undoubtably a 5 STAR Unilocal!