In The Spotlight ! What is 2-1-1?? 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects people with important community resources and services. The 2-1-1 initiative in Forest, Oneida, and Vilas Counties is a collaborative effort between many local and governmental agencies, including Ministry Health Care, The Family Resource Connection, Sacred Heart-Saint Mary's Hospitals, Saint Mary's Hospital Foundation, the Howard Young Foundation, and the Northwoods United Way. Every hour of every day, someone in the United States needs essential services – from finding substance abuse assistance to securing adequate care for a child or an aging parent. Faced with a dramatic increase in the number of agencies and help lines, people often don’t know where to turn. 2-1-1 provides callers with information about referrals to human services for every day needs and times of crisis. This includes but is not limited to physical and mental health resources, employment supports, support for children and older Americans and volunteer opportunities. The 2-1-1 dialing code – spearheaded by United Way of America and Alliance of Information and Referral Systems – is already fully implemented in 19 states, with 22 more in the operational phase. Locally, the Family Resource Connection is coordinating this program. Currently there are eleven 2-1-1 call centers that serve the entire state of Wisconsin. The next time you or a client/patient have a question, need information about community services, or are looking for help with personal, community or family matters, or have other concerns, simply dial 2-1-1 from any landline phone. If you have a cell phone, you can reach a 2-1-1 call specialist by dialing (715) 361-2893. (work is in progress with cellular companies to expand access for easy dialing).