[BHS etree] BUSD: Dial 2-1-1 for Alameda County Family Information/Referrals

[bhs at idiom.com]

Forwarded by Mark Coplan, BUSD Public Information Officer

Dial 2-1-1 for Important Family Information/Referrals

2-1-1 is a public communication service that every individual should
know about. No one needs to scramble to find a 7- or 9-digit phone
number for assistance. 2-1-1 Alameda County is a free three-digit
phone number (similar to the emergency number 911 and the information
number 411) that anyone can call 24-hours a day, 7-days a weeks to get
information and referrals on health, housing, and human services.
Callers are connected to a live Resource Specialist who assesses the
caller's needs and refers the caller to agencies that can help meet
those specific needs. Callers are given information about government
programs, housing-related services, community services, support
groups, educational opportunities, job training programs, or any other
social service that is being sought. For example, a dad can call to
locate after school programs for his daughter; a merchant can call on
behalf of a homeless family to find the nearest available shelter; an
abused woman can call to locate a safe house; a daughter can call to
find an adult daycare for her senior mother; or a caseworker can call
to locate a free clinic for a client. 

Eden I&R, Inc. (Information and Referral) has been fulfilling its
mission of "linking people and resources" in Alameda County since
1976. The agency's comprehensive housing and social service databases
are used by individuals, social service providers, and other advocates
on a daily basis via the 2-1-1 telephone line, the online database,
and The Big Blue
Book: Directory of Human Service for Alameda County.

Individuals can access the same comprehensive data via Eden I&R's
online social service database at www.211alamedacounty.org. For
agencies and individuals who prefer to have all the information in
print, Eden I&R's The Big Blue Book: The Directory of Human Services
for Alameda County profiles each social service agency or program in
detail. Besides the general contact information, this annual
comprehensive directory also contains a detailed description of
services, fees and eligibility requirements, days and hours of
operation, application process, and more.

To learn more about the 2-1-1 phone line or Eden I&R's other services,
please visit our website or contact Barbara Bernstein, Executive
Director, at bbernstein at edenir.org or 510-537-2710, ext. 8.

 
==========================================
Mark A. Coplan
Public Information Officer, BUSD
510-644-6320 Cell: 510-472-3811
Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us
Berkeley Unified School District
2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, Ca 94704-1180