The first quarter (Q1) 2019 report for 2-1-1 is now available for download. 2-1-1's call center, PATH, provides United Way with anonymous quarterly reports detailing the reasons callers reach out to 2-1-1. These reports contain valuable information on our community's pressing issues.
2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember, non-emergency telephone number provided by United Way that connects people with the help they need. 2-1-1 saves time and frustration through highly trained specialists who match people to the right agency based on your individual needs.
The 24-hour, 365 days a year line makes it easy to navigate the maze of human service providers and help lines. All calls are free, anonymous and confidential.
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Report Summary
For Q1 2019, 2-1-1 received 445 outreaches from Champaign County residents.
The top five reasons callers dialed 2-1-1 were:
- Homeless Shelter/Services (102 calls)
- Rent Assistance (89 calls)
- Low Income/Subisidzed Housing (45 calls)
- Food Pantry/Food Services (44 calls)
- Transportation (42 calls)
2-1-1 endeavors to answer calls within 90 seconds. In Q1 2019, PATH answered 78% of all calls within 90 seconds. The average wait time for a caller was 46 seconds.
Housing is the most common reason people call 2-1-1. In Q1 2019, 47% of all calls were related to housing needs.
88% of callers were able to be connected with the services they needed.
Unmet Needs
While a majority (88%) of 2-1-1 callers found help this quarter, sometimes programs do not have enough funding to help, or a service simply isn't available here in Champaign County.
2-1-1 provides United Way with a comprehensive unmet needs analysis. United Way is using the Unmet Needs report to track the most pressing needs and work with local partners and lawmakers to close the gap in available services and improve the 2-1-1 database.
Because of the significant, recurring unmet need for rent and utility assistance, in fall 2017 United Way added Number of people who recieved Rent or Utility assistance as a program output metric underneath our Financial Stability building block.
Additionally, United Way has responded to the unmet need for homeless shelter. United Way has brought the Emergency Shelter for Families to our community, a program that allows families to stay together in apartments for up to 30 days while they work with a case manager to find permanent housing. We have also collaborated with the local faith community to open the CU Men's Shelter the past two winters, providing 30 beds for homeless men annually from mid-November through March.
Finally, another common reason people do not find help is that 2-1-1 may not be notified when services are added or changed. Any referral service is only as good as its database of information. The responsibility lies on both 2-1-1 and local programs to make sure all services are listed accurately, so everyone in our community can find the help they need. Anyone can submit information to 2-1-1's database at any time - just dial 2-1-1, or submit information on their website.
For Q1 2019, the top three unmet needs in Champaign county were:
- Rent Assistance
- Transportation Expense Assistance & Gas Money
- Homeless Shelter
Why Need was Unmet
2-1-1 provides the reason why a caller was unable to get help. Here are detailed reasons for the top three unmet needs. Please contact United Way if you would like to explore this data further.
Rent Payment Assistance (10 callers' needs unmet)
9 - Service is out of funding
1 - Service is unavailable
Homeless Shelter (12 callers' needs unmet)
2 - Does not meet eligibility guidelines for program
2 - Service referral is refused
6 - Service is unavailable
1 - Service is unavailable for parent with child(ren)
1 - Service unavailable because of eligibility waiting period
Transportation Assitance and Gas Money (6 callers' needs unmet)
4 - Service Unavailable
2 - Caller refused service referral