National 211 Day will be celebrated across the country this Saturday, February 11, marking an occasion to celebrate 211 call center teams and their tireless work connecting their communities to services and resources.
211, a program of Connecting Point, serving Nevada County, Placer County, and the Tahoe-Truckee region, is a free, multilingual information and referral call center. Residents may dial 2-1-1 to receive 24/7 live assistance to connect with community health resources and services including senior care, transportation, housing assistance, food access, suicide prevention and disaster services. In the event of a disaster, 211 helps the public access information on evacuation, shelter, food, and water so 911 can better focus on assisting callers with emergency medical, fire, and police dispatch.
In recent years, Connecting Point and 211 are increasingly focused on disaster preparation, public messaging, and helping those affected by disaster navigate the recovery process. With the increase of hazardous winter weather activity, 211 has established the Tahoe-Truckee COAD, an exciting new collaboration between local government and community-based organizations to mobilize resources in the event of a power outage or other disasters.
“The COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) acts as a liaison between emergency services and our community-based organizations, nonprofits, faith-based communities, and the private sector, which is especially helpful to our community when disseminating information about winter storm preparedness and response,” says COAD Manager Anne Rarick, “By utilizing the COAD network, we were able to get information about staying safe out to 625 families through a partnership with Sierra Community House.”
Whether faced with winter storms, flooding, PSPS events, or wildfire activity, the 211 Call Center adopts an “all hands on-deck” approach that sometimes involves bolstering the call center with extra staff from neighboring California 211s. In partnership with Nevada County Social Services and Emergency Operations Center, 211 Connecting Point provides compassion with up-to-date information, and the ability to document the needs of our community members.
Nevada County residents can access 211 by calling 2-1-1 (or 1-833-DIAL211; for TTY 1-844-521-6697; by texting their zip code to 898211 (your text plan’s rates will apply); or visiting 211ConnectingPoint.org to access the online searchable database and email or chat with specialists.
About Connecting Point
Connecting Point is a public agency connecting people to supportive programs, information, and services in Nevada County, Placer County, and beyond. Learn more at connectingpoint.org.