A Safety Net of Services

If you were suddenly faced with losing everything, where would you turn?

People who are fleeing a dangerous situation—such as a violent relationship, or an emergency like a house fire or flood—can find themselves starting over with literally nothing but the shirt on their back. It may sound like an unlikely nightmare to many, but our community relies on this safety net:

• 100,000 people in central and northeastern Connecticut rely on emergency food programs. Forty percent of these people are children, and ten percent are senior citizens.

• In July 2008, United Way 2-1-1 received nearly 1,400 calls from people in central and northeastern Connecticut who were looking for assistance with housing or shelter.

• 33,000 people in Connecticut experience homelessness during a 12-month period; 13,000 of these are children.

What we’re doing: United Way’s Community Investment provides a safety net of services in central and northeastern Connecticut. Many of our neighbors have overcome adversity thanks to this safety net, which provides:
• Information and referral
• Disaster preparedness and response
• Emergency and crisis services, such as shelter and food, and
• Mental and physical health services, such as counseling and home health care.

Recent results:
• Information and Referral: Last year, United Way 2-1-1 received more than 149,000 calls from people in central and northeastern Connecticut in need of assistance. More than 70% of those calls were requests for emergency services, including food, shelter, and other crisis situations. Thanks to this round-the-clock service, all callers were directed to the community resources they needed.

• Disaster and Emergency Preparedness and Response: More than 43,000 local residents were trained in disaster preparedness last year, increasing their ability to prevent and take appropriate action during an emergency.

• Emergency and Crisis Services: More than 50,000 people received emergency and crisis services such as food or shelter last year. Ninety-nine percent of those who sought crisis services had their needs met.

• Mental & Physical Health Services: Almost 8,000 people (nearly three out of every four) improved and/or stabilized their mental health through Community Investment supported programs last year.