Portland hotline will help those in need of services

PORTLAND, Ore. — People in the Portland area will soon be able to dial 211 when they’re in need of food, shelter or other services.

The 24-hour hotline will lead callers to social services available in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Clark counties.

"If you’re looking for a food box in Clackamas or Washington county, we all agree it’s a challenge to find the right number. And then there’s trying to get through," said Liesl Wendt, 211 initiative coordinator for the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette.

Organizers had hoped to unveil 211 on the numerically apt Feb. 11. But they now say the multilingual hotline will likely start this summer.

Wendt estimates the hotline will cost $1.8 million annually. Once 211 has been in operation for three years, Wendt expects to receive nearly 200,000 calls each year — nearly three times as many as existing referral lines.

The hotline will be managed by newly formed nonprofit 211Info, which will track callers’ questions, referrals, call lengths, calls on hold and whether someone hangs up before getting help. Callers may remain anonymous, but they will be asked for their ZIP codes.

"People might want a food box, but they also might be eligible for food stamps or rent assistance," said Jimi Smith, information and referral coordinator for Hillsboro-based Community Action. "Our goal is to give them enough help to get themselves out of crisis."

United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta rolled out the nation’s first 211 system in 1997. In the years since, 82 call centers have popped up in 23 states.

Portland-area social workers discussed the idea for years and eventually teamed with Vancouver social service workers in hopes of designing statewide systems for Oregon and Washington.

As word of 211’s success spread, local organizers locked on a plan for the Portland area that will be the model for a statewide system.

Wendt’s five-year business plan relies on a $300,000 annual United Way payment, as well as counties adding an amount based on their population each year. The remainder would be covered through grants, state and county contracts and from a potential federal matching grant working its way through Congress.