The Issue |
How 2-1-1 Helped |
A man was mugged on the street and his glasses broke during the struggle. Because his eyesight was so poor, the individual was unable to work without his glasses. |
A 2-1-1 information and referral specialist referred the man to the Crime Victim Compensation Board and the Lion's Club Eye Bank, which provided him with glasses. |
| A woman whose son has a disability called United Way 2-1-1 after her son's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) was cut off. |
A 2-1-1 specialist helped the woman get in touch with a representative from SSI who obtained her son's records. It turned out that the mother's financial reporting did not include expenses associated with her son's care. This would have made a difference in the SSI determination of benefits. Arrangements were made to re-open her son's case for consideration. |
| A woman had lost both legs in a tragic car accident. She called United Way 2-1-1 because she wanted prosthetic legs but didn't have the money to pay for them. |
A 2-1-1 specialist located a foundation that assists people who have lost their legs. The foundation was started by a man who lost his legs in a parachuting accident. The foundation was able to help the woman secure funding for prosthetic legs. |
| A man who suffers from seizures called United Way 2-1-1 because he couldn't afford the medical deductible for his anti-seizure medication. Without help, he would run out of medication in a week. |
A 2-1-1 specialist interviewed the man and discovered that he needed help with his monthly budgeting. It was determined that the man could eliminate some discretionary spending and have adequate funds to buy his medicine. The 2-1-1 specialist referred the man to a financial literacy program to make sure he would gain the skills and discipline to be able to afford his medicine. |
| A man called United Way 2-1-1 to explain that his wife had died suddenly and the hospital kept calling and insisting that he make arrangement to have the body picked up. The man had been out of work for several months and did not have the money to pay for mortuary services. |
A 2-1-1 specialist offered to call the Department of Social Services on his behalf to arrange an appointment to apply for a death benefit. 2-1-1 set up the appointment so the grief-stricken husband did not face another hurdle in making arrangement for burial. |
| A man was seeking to move out of his apartment and was told by his landlord that a "verbal contract" required him to continue paying rent until the vacated apartment was re-rented. |
A 2-1-1 specialist explained that there is no such standard as a "verbal contract" in a landlord-tenant agreement. Because the tenant had a month-to-month lease, he had no obligation other than to provide 30 days notice. The call specialist then referred the man to United Tenants, a tenant advocacy group. |