At Your Service: 2-1-1

 If a situation comes up and it seems like you need more than a helping hand from a neighbor, try the NC 2-1-1 system.

NC 211 is an information and referral service provided by United Way of North Carolina. Families and individuals in all 100 counties in North Carolina can call to obtain free and confidential information on health and human services within their community. Available in most languages, NC 211 is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

NC 211 maintains a robust database with information on thousands of programs and services in North Carolina. They refer callers to organizations in their local community best equipped to address their specific health and human services needs including food, shelter, energy assistance, housing, parenting resources, healthcare, substance abuse, as well as specific resources for older adults and for persons with disabilities, and much more.

When an individual calls NC 211, a trained call specialist will conduct a search based on his or her geographic location to identify resources based on the caller’s current needs. In addition to contact information for the community resource, the call specialist will provide eligibility requirements, the intake process for a program, the hours of operation, any requirements for appointments, and accessibility information, when available. (This information was provided by the NC Caregivers Portal, Dept. of Health & Human Services)