211 and Poverty – When You Don’t Know Where to Turn
You don’t know what you don’t know
Hundreds of people have had the chance to take part in Poverty Simulations offered through United Way Central Alberta (UWCA) and the Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance (CAPRA). It’s designed to give people a one-hour snap-shot of how living a life in poverty feels, and how difficult it is to navigate through many different agencies for the right kind of help. During the de-brief, participants are always surprised to find there were agencies that could have helped their situations. They didn’t access the help because they didn’t know what role the agencies played. Occasionally, one of the participants says something like “It’s too bad there isn’t a place where people can go to find out what services are available.”
Ironically, there is. 211 is a community resource navigator available by phone at no cost for Red Deer city residents. It’s the number to call when you’re not sure whom you’re supposed to call. “When you don’t know where to turn” is a 211 motto.
The most recent statistics regarding 211 calls from Red Deer show that almost one-third of people asking for information are living in poverty. Seventeen percent called about basic needs and another 15 percent needed information about income support and employment. The top referrals given to 211 callers were Alberta Works – Emergency Needs Allowance and Alberta Works – Income Support. The help they receive from Alberta Works is vital, and there are often other underlying or co-issues that should be addressed. That’s where the expertise of 211’s Information and Referral Specialists can guide people to additional help.