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This Sunday has been proclaimed 211 Awareness Day in Maryland by Governor Wes Moore. 211 Day serves as a tribute to the essential service provided by 211 Maryland, which last year responded to over 270,000 calls from Marylanders facing immediate and ongoing challenges.
In 2023, dedicated call specialists at 211 linked individuals with critical local resources, including assistance with housing, nutrition, utility bills, and healthcare. Notably, the service made over 133,000 connections for homelessness support, more than 77,000 for mental health services, and 67,000+ for utility assistance.
Representative Bonnie Cullison, District 19, said “211 is a complimentary, confidential 24/7 information and referral hotline. For assistance or information, dialing 211 connects you with a skilled specialist. In 2023, 211 specialists linked individuals to local services such as rental assistance, food, utilities, and healthcare. In addition to providing information and referrals, over 20,000 Maryland residents benefited from supportive conversations through the 211 Health Check program.”
“For years, our region's health and human service agencies have faced considerable challenges in linking our residents with the necessary services they require. We’re teaming up with 211 Maryland in an effort to change that,” said Nicole Morris, Director of the Mid Shore Health Improvement Coalition. “Our residents can conveniently connect with food, housing, transportation, and lots of other needed resources by dialing 211 and talking with a call specialist. This eliminates the need to remember an intricate web of phone numbers. It also helps lessen the administrative burden for agencies within our region as we don’t need to maintain separate directories of services. Making sure our residents and agencies know about 211 is one of our priorities.”
Quinton Askew, President/CEO of the Maryland Information Network, which operates the 211 system in Maryland, advocates for the community to leverage this resource as needed. "In the past year, individuals turned to 211 not only for critical needs but also for everyday information such as child health screenings, job training, and free tax filing services," stated Askew.
211 offers a comprehensive directory of local resources across the state, encompassing health and mental health support, insurance programs, support for seniors and individuals with disabilities, Kinship care, home healthcare, transportation, and family support services. The hotline is accessible in 180 languages through translation services.
For more than 13 years, 211 Maryland, in collaboration with its Call Center Network Partners — United Way of Central Maryland, Life Crisis Center, Mental Health Association of Frederick County, and Community Crisis Services Incorporated — has been a cornerstone in connecting Marylanders with the health and human services they require. Anyone in need of support can dial 211 or visit 211md.org.
What is 211?
211 is a simple, memorable three-digit phone number that connects Marylanders to essential resources. The free and confidential service enables individuals with unmet needs a one-stop access point to health and human service agencies. English and Spanish-speaking resource specialists are available 24/7, and translation is available in 150+ languages.
211 is powered by the Maryland Information Network, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Empathetic Information and Referral Specialists understand navigating the sometimes-confusing maze of health and human resources can be challenging. They’ll use your ZIP code to search our up-to-date resource database of over 7,000 agencies and services. We’ll connect you to the best
How Can 211 Help Me?
Food
Housing and shelter
Emergency shelter
Utility assistance
Financial assistance
Mental health
Substance abuse
Suicide and crisis intervention
Healthcare
Children and families (child care, parenting support, supplies and clothing and school readiness)
Aging and disability
Legal services
Tax prep information
Veterans
Domestic violence
Employment
Transportation
By the end of the call you will be prepared to take action to get the help you need.
How Can I Let Others Know About 211?
Visit https://211md.org/WHATS-THE-211/ to access the marketing toolkit.
How Do Mid Shore Organizations Add Their Information to the 211 Database?
You can complete this form to add your organization's information.
How can I stay informed of health events and news in the community?
Get the scoop on health events in the mid shore region. Text MidShore to 898-211 and get monthly texts about health events and news in the region.
Data and text msg. rates apply. Text STOP to unsubscribe. Privacy: 211md.org/sms/
