2-1-1 for Southeast Colorado is an important new and free service for residents of Southeast Colorado ‘who need help’ or ‘who want to help’.

2-1-1 is an easy to remember phone number that anyone can call to reach a person trained to help you assess your needs and put you in touch with the community services available to meet those needs.  They will help you through the complex maze of community service agencies and government programs. 

In addition, it reduces calls to inappropriate agencies and organizations, helping them save time and money, while preventing caller frustration and congestion on 3-1-1 and 9-1-1.  By dialing 2-1-1 you can also find opportunities to volunteer or make donations.  

Individuals and families search every day for emergency financial assistance, food, shelter and other important needs.  Looking for help means finding dozens of phone numbers and then searching through a confusing maze of agencies and services.  

For those who want to give to the community through volunteerism, donations or civic involvement, the situation is only marginally better.  When a person has a donation to offer, they often end up making dozens of calls, and can easily become frustrated trying to find an agency who can utilize their specific donation.

When someone is able to dial a simple, easy-to-use number, utilization of comprehensive information, assistance and referral services increases dramatically.  2-1-1 makes it convenient and cost-effective for communities to address the diverse needs of individuals and families.

In broad terms, 2-1-1 Centers serve individuals and families and communities by:

• Working with people in need to help them fully understand their problems, and determine the best, most appropriate ways to address those problems;
• Assisting callers by providing them with eligibility criteria and service provider information; Maintaining comprehensive databases of resources, including federal, state and local government agencies, community-based organizations, and non-profit agencies;
• Conducting outreach into the community to educate the public on the variety of services available;
• Compiling caller data, such as data on social needs and trends, and duplication or gaps in services, which provides critical information for the development of community services and planning;
• Reducing calls to inappropriate agencies and organizations, resulting in fewer misdirected calls, helping to save time and money for agencies and preventing caller frustration; reducing congestion on 3-1-1 and 9-1-1 lines.