Credit: Hilda Salazar
For 19 years, United Way of the Brazos Valley’s 2-1-1 Texas call center has been there to help residents who don’t know where to turn — a service that’s more critical now than ever. 2-1-1 Texas is a free hotline available for all Texas residents that offers information about local health and community resources. Located in Bryan, United Way of the Brazos Valley’s call center is one of 25 call centers across Texas.
2-1-1 Texas plays a vital role in disaster response by providing information to those affected. When disasters like floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes strike, residents can call 2-1-1 Texas for information about where to find shelter, food, clothes, donation sites, and many more recovery efforts. When 2-1-1 Texas’ disaster response efforts were activated in 2020, it was unlike any disaster the team had faced before.
“Usually when 2-1-1 Texas responds to a disaster, we ramp up our services to handle the increase in calls over the course of a month or so, and then we resume normal service and call volume,” says Peggi Goss, VP Community Impact of United Way of the Brazos Valley. “But with COVID-19, we have been in disaster response mode since the spring of 2020.”
Credit: Jennifer Turner
In addition to answering calls from Brazos Valley residents, United Way of the Brazos Valley’s 2-1-1 Texas call center also answers calls from across the state. In 2019, the Bryan call center answered 25,943 total calls; that number increased to over 50,000 calls in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 response efforts. In the Brazos Valley, call volume increased from 19,219 calls in 2019 to over 23,500 calls in 2020. The top reasons Brazos Valley residents called 2-1-1 Texas in 2020 were for help with housing, utility assistance, and health care, respectively.
“The average handle time per call has also increased because callers have more complex needs,” says Goss. “COVID-19 has added an extra kink in the chain. People were asking questions about COVID-19, like where to find testing resources, but they also had the financial piece to it where they were looking for rent, utility, or food assistance on top of COVID-19 resources.”
The 2-1-1 Texas call center adapted by adding staff, increasing staff hours, and allowing staff to work remotely to promote social distancing. The statewide network also added a COVID-19 information option for callers looking for COVID-19 specific inquiries. United Way of the Brazos Valley’s 2-1-1 Texas call center has been humbled by the outpouring of support from the community. Community members and companies called asking how they could help, and brought food for the call specialists.
“The thought of being able to help individuals in need is my way of giving back to the community,” says Candace Robertson, Information and Referral Specialist for 2-1-1 Texas. “Knowing you are actually being heard by someone can help more than you know, and helping people is a passion and a beautiful experience.”
To learn more about 2-1-1 Texas, please visit uwbv.org/211texas. For information about local resources, call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905.
