by Contributor | February 11, 2021 12:11 pm
FULTON – On Thursday, February 11, United Way of Greater Oswego County will join United Ways across America to celebrate National 2-1-1 Day to spread awareness about the 211 hotline, a free, confidential resource available to all.
Everyone knows that you dial 911 for an emergency. Many can remember life before Google and calling 411 to get a phone number. What you may not know is that calling 211 connects callers in need with hundreds of programs to help find food, housing, health care, senior services, child care, legal aid and much more. Help is available 24/7 in over 100 languages.
Funded by United Way, 211 has a mission to connect people with information and resources to build healthy, safe communities, especially in times of an emergency. Especially now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 211 system and its 24-hour service has been an invaluable referral resource for individuals and families with needs during this national emergency. The 211 hotline is the toll-free health and human services referral service system staffed by trained social workers and is available across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, and funded by local United Way offices. The hotline has operated for 5 years in Oswego County.
“Every single day, someone in our county needs essential or emergency services. This help may be for an emergency like a fire or something more commonplace, such as finding free tax preparation assistance,” said Patrick Dewine, executive director of United Way of Greater Oswego County. “Whether in times of personal crisis or natural disaster, 211 is committed to being the first resource available to anyone who needs help, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
211 can be accessed by phone or computer. A toll-free call to 211 connects you to a community resource specialist in your area who can put you in touch with local organizations that provide critical services that can improve—and save—lives.
You’ll find information about:
It can be hard to know where to turn for help when you need it most. Hopefully, the 211 hotline is the first step in getting help and understanding options the community needs in times of crisis.
About United Way of Greater Oswego County: United Way is advancing the common good by changing systems to help all of us. We are all connected and interdependent. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable, when people are healthy. United Way’s foal is to create long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes of these problems. Living UNITED means being a part of the change. It takes everyone on the community working together to create a brighter future. For more information about how to support the efforts of United Way of Greater Oswego County, please call 315-593-1900 or visit www.oswegounitedway.org[1].
About 211: 211 is a vital service used by millions of people throughout the U.S. every year to access help with housing, food, childcare, transportation, employment, mental health, and more. Ensuring that people have access to the 211 service is critical to United Way’s fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community. You can locate a 211 by searching a zip code at www.211.org[2].
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/fulton/united-way-celebrates-211-day/
Copyright ©2026 Oswego County Today unless otherwise noted.