2-1-1 program will benefit the area

By Staff
Staff Editorial
Most people know they can dial 9-1-1 for a medical emergency or to report a crime, or that 4-1-1 is the number to call for a phone number or an address.
But the general public might not be aware that there is also a 2-1-1 social services hotline for anything from not being able to pay a utility bill or needing legal services to wanting to volunteer or locate a wellness program.
The 2-1-1 hotline was first introduced in the U.S. in 1997, and 2-1-1 Connects Alabama was founded in 2002. The Alabama hotline is provided by a network of regional call centers whose mission is provide easy access to health and human services to all state residents.
The free service has been available to Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale and Marion counties through a partnership formed last year by United Way of the Shoals and the Shoals Family Success Center, which are both based in the Brandon Ministry Building in Florence.