Gov. Charlie Baker Declares Feb. 11 as 211 Day in Massachusetts

SPRINGFIELD — On Monday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m., Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno will hold a news conference at the United Way of Pioneer Valley headquarters, located at 1441 Main St., to declare that day 211 Day in Massachusetts. He will read a proclamation by Gov. Charlie Baker.

“The mayor is committed to raising awareness of Mass211, which receives more than 130,000 calls annually and responds to over 250,000 web inquiries from people in the Commonwealth seeking resources. Over 41{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of all inquiries to Mass211 come from the Pioneer Valley area,” said Paul Mina, CEO of Mass211. Callers can also access the United Way’s statewide mental health/suicide prevention hotline known as Call2Talk if they are depressed, despondent, or just need someone to listen.

Feb. 11 marks national 211 Day in recognition of the free, user-friendly phone and online system that serves 90{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of America’s population, and connects some 16 million people a year to critical resources, information, and services.

People call or search 211 looking for resources to meet basic needs, such as heating or utility assistance, shelter, emergency help, or to find the closest food bank. They also call for everyday non-emergency needs, such as developmental screening for a child, home health care for a relative, job training, or free tax-filing support.

“The collaboration between the United Way and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts allows Mass211 to access stable resources sufficient enough to continue this vital service well into the future,” Mina said.