United Way 211
Report to the Community 2023-2024
The free and confidential helpline connected more than 193,000 community members in FY24 to local experts who helped to secure food, housing, and utility assistance; reduce prescription costs; support veterans assistance, and more.
Our social service professionals are the heart of United Way 211 by assisting callers with their immediate needs, identifying underlying causes, and connecting people to resources that break down barriers and set them on a path to success.
The free and confidential helpline connected more than 193,000 community members in FY24 to local experts who helped to secure food, housing, and utility assistance; reduce prescription costs; support veterans assistance, and more.
Our social service professionals are the heart of United Way 211 by assisting callers with their immediate needs, identifying underlying causes, and connecting people to resources that break down barriers and set them on a path to success
The impact we have on the community is extended through our numerous partnerships, including:
- Supporting Cleveland’s 311 Call Center.
- Managing Ohio’s problem gambling hotline.
- Streamlining the screening process for utility assistance with CHN Housing Partners and Step Forward.
- Assisting Cuyahoga County and FrontLine Service with their emergency shelter program.
- Collaborating with the Cleveland 3-Team Alliance of the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians and Cleveland Cavaliers to raise community awareness about United Way 211 services.
From call center to solution
These partnerships have allowed us to continue to evolve United Way 211 beyond that of a call center to now also function as a solution to pervasive challenges in navigating social services.
One example of this is helping callers navigate utility assistance programs. As a dedicated broker through new partnerships, United Way 211 can conduct an in-depth screening of utility needs and better identify the resources that best fit a client’s situation. This is useful given the disparate and disconnected public and private resources for utility assistance.
Our 211 Navigators can assist callers by directing them to an appropriate program, scheduling appointments, and checking the status of an application. The result is a more efficient and effective system for callers and the agencies providing the services. There are fewer repeat calls and more satisfied people, allowing the social service agencies to focus their time and resources on assisting people with the help they need.
Improving systems, connecting resources
We continue to explore initiatives to increase our ability to connect callers to the appropriate community resources beyond the initial referral. This work leverages United Way 211’s existing infrastructure, innovative technology, and Community Health Workers to strengthen our referral network and ensure we deliver the right resources to address social needs.
Over the summer, Cleveland’s United Way 211 became one of the first 211 centers in the country to offer a dynamic follow-up survey to callers via text or email. To date, almost 85% of callers who were offered the survey opted in, and nearly two-thirds requested additional follow-up from one of our dedicated specialists.
The survey aims to understand if the caller’s needs were met, identify any barriers they encountered, and offer additional assistance if necessary. The data we collect allows us to understand the community’s needs on a larger scale and focuses on client outcomes rather than traditional referral metrics.
At United Way 211, we are committed to maximizing the potential of our service to our clients, service providers, and the communities we call home. Whether the engagement with United Way 211 starts with a phone call, chat, text, or in-person, we provide accurate and timely assessments, information, and service navigation to help people understand their options, resolve problems, and improve their lives.
UNITED WAY 211 IMPACT NUMBERS
Total number of contacts
Contacts related to housing or emergency shelter
Contacts related to food
Contacts related to utilities
Individual needs met
Veterans assisted through Help2Veterans
People helped and/or referrals made at the Cleveland Food Bank Community Resource Center
Saved through MedRefer since 2008
Increase in calls made to Ohio’s Problem Gambling Hotline since Ohio legalized gambling in Jan 2023
The impact we have on the community is extended through our numerous partnerships, including:
- Supporting Cleveland’s 311 Call Center.
- Managing Ohio’s problem gambling hotline.
- Streamlining the screening process for utility assistance with CHN Housing Partners and Step Forward.
- Assisting Cuyahoga County and FrontLine Service with their emergency shelter program.
- Collaborating with the Cleveland 3-Team Alliance of the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians, and Cleveland Cavaliers to raise community awareness about United Way 211 services.
From call center to solution
These partnerships have allowed us to continue to evolve United Way 211 beyond that of a call center to now also function as a solution to pervasive challenges in navigating social services.
One example of this is helping callers navigate utility assistance programs. As a dedicated broker through new partnerships, United Way 211 can conduct an in-depth screening of utility needs and better identify the resources that best fit a client’s situation. This is useful given the disparate and disconnected public and private resources for utility assistance.
Our 211 Navigators can assist callers by directing them to an appropriate program, scheduling appointments, and checking the status of an application. The result is a more efficient and effective system for callers and the agencies providing the services. There are fewer repeat calls and more satisfied people, allowing the social service agencies to focus their time and resources on assisting people with the help they need.
Improving systems, connecting resources
We continue to explore initiatives to increase our ability to connect callers to the appropriate community resources beyond the initial referral. This work leverages United Way 211’s existing infrastructure, innovative technology, and Community Health Workers to strengthen our referral network and ensure we deliver the right resources to address social needs.
Over the summer, Cleveland’s United Way 211 became one of the first 211 centers in the country to offer a dynamic follow-up survey to callers via text or email. To date, almost 85% of callers who were offered the survey opted in, and nearly two-thirds requested additional follow-up from one of our dedicated specialists.
The survey aims to understand if the caller’s needs were met, identify any barriers they encountered, and offer additional assistance if necessary. The data we collect allows us to understand the community’s needs on a larger scale and focuses on client outcomes rather than traditional referral metrics.
At United Way 211, we are committed to maximizing the potential of our service to our clients, service providers, and the communities we call home. Whether the engagement with United Way 211 starts with a phone call, chat, text, or in-person, we provide accurate and timely assessments, information, and service navigation to help people understand their options, resolve problems, and improve their lives.
UNITED WAY 211 IMPACT NUMBERS
193,358
total number of contacts
38,103
contacts related to housing or emergency shelter
17,899
contacts related to food
64,039
contacts related to utilities
198,026
individual needs met
3,625
veterans assisted through Help2Veterans
791
people helped or referrals made at the Cleveland Food Bank Community Resource Center
$26M+
saved through MedRefer since 2008
56%
increase in calls made to Ohio’s Problem Gambling Hotline since Ohio legalized gambling in Jan 2023
Mike is a 37-year-old father of two sons who called United Way 211 seeking food assistance. A military veteran, Mike suffers from hearing loss and back problems, which has caused him to struggle to maintain a job. He was living off his savings while looking for work, but having a hard time finding a job he could physically do.
Through the Help2Veterans program, Mike was connected with area food pantries that provide fresh, healthy food for his family. He also enrolled in a job training program that would not worsen his medical conditions. With that assistance, Mike found a new job allowing him to continue to provide for his family.
Mike is a 37-year-old father of two sons who called United Way 211 seeking food assistance. A military veteran, Mike suffers from hearing loss and back problems, which has caused him to struggle to maintain a job. He was living off his savings while looking for work, but having a hard time finding a job he could physically do.
Through the Help2Veterans program, Mike was connected with area food pantries that provide fresh, healthy food for his family. He also enrolled in a job training program that would not worsen his medical conditions. With that assistance, Mike found a new job allowing him to continue to provide for his family.
