When a life-or-death emergency happens, we all know to dial 9-1-1. But what happens when you need help, but not an ambulance, police car or a fire truck? What if the help you need is the phone number of the nearest food bank, a meal program for an elderly parent or the safety of the nearest domestic violence project? Or what if you just need help navigating through the long list of social service agencies that might be able to assist you, if you only knew which one to call?

Thirty-one other states have combined the phone numbers for all their social service agencies. To get and give help in their local communities they just dial 2-1-1. The number 2-1-1 was launched in 1997 by the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. It is a number that is easy to remember and quickly dialed when nonlife-threatening emergencies happen. It is a simple way for community members to get the critical social services they need.

Supported by the United Way of America, the United Ways in Maine are working to put in place a statewide 2-1-1 phone system. While most Maine United Ways provide some kind of help-line service (in eastern Maine call infoLine at 1-800-204-2803), the real benefit will come with a single call center to handle those calls and an easy-to-remember number that can be accessed anywhere in the state.

The benefits of 2-1-1 are obvious: providing Maine citizens with a simple, centralized way to access social service information. 2-1-1 can also act as a conduit for people wanting to help others, get involved, or give back to the community. In most states, 2-1-1 connects those who can or want to give help with those who will benefit. As an example, United Way of America reports that one call center’s referrals facilitated nearly 65,000 volunteer hours for local social service agencies. Based upon data from the Independent Sector, it is estimated that the value of the volunteer time contributed through that one call center exceeded $1 million.

For Maine taxpayers, the experience from other states suggests that, as people get familiar with 2-1-1 as a resource for nonemergency calls, we’ll see savings from a reduced burden on the 9-1-1 emergency system. State and local offices and their employees will see a reduction in the time they spend on information and referral (especially time spent directing calls to other departments or organizations) and an increase in the time they can devote to actual service delivery. We might also expect to see some reduction in public assistance expenditures and dollars spent on emergency services if the 2-1-1 system can help make more timely connections with appropriate intervening services. In fact, a recent cost-benefit analysis completed by the University of Texas-Austin finds that national usage of 2-1-1 would provide $1.1 billion in net value to society over the next 10 years.

In July 2000, the Federal Communications Commission assigned the 2-1-1 dialing code exclusively for community information and referral purposes. Despite the demonstrated need for a2-1-1 system, and the ever-growing demand for 2-1-1 as an asset for homeland security and disaster recovery needs, limited resources remains the key barrier to sustainability and nationwide implementation.

At the national level, The Calling for 2-1-1 Act (S. 211) has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in a bipartisan effort to secure federal funding for 2-1-1 and support its nationwide adoption. Reps. Michael Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., have introduced a similar bill in the House. Tom Allen has signed-on as a co-sponsor, and we are optimistic that the rest of Maine’s congressional delegation will join him.

At the state level, a bill (LD 523) will be presented to designate 2-1-1 Maine Inc. (established as a partnership among Maine’s United Ways) as the sole provider for 2-1-1 information and referral services in Maine. That decision will not cost state taxpayers a penny. What it does is put some of the necessary infrastructure in place for a statewide system and allow 2-1-1 Maine Inc. to make available a statewide Web site with a free database of health and human service resources and services.

The early benefits of the proposed 2-1-1 system could be realized as early as this spring when the database of statewide health and human service information is made available and regional test sites in Cumberland and Washington counties begin working as the first 2-1-1 system in the state (the sites will use seven-digit phone numbers until the system is ready to be launched statewide).

At a time when so many are calling for consolidation of services and seeking efficiencies, a statewide 2-1-1 system is a common-sense approach that deserves the support of Maine’s state and federal legislators. Let’s join the rest of the states that have a 9-1-1 and a 2-1-1 system and ensure that Maine citizens can get the help they need in times of emergency or in dealing with the daily challenges so many Maine people face.

Jeff Wahlstrom is the former president of United Ways of Maine and Jamie Comstock is a community impact associate with United Way of Eastern Maine.