211 service launched

News — 05 October 2011

By Ally Dunham

Ontario 211 Services Corporation, the United Way and the Lakehead Social Planning Council have come together to create and launch the 211North service in the Kenora district.

The service, which was launched for the Kenora region on September 28 at The Centre, is a 24 hour, seven day a week, free and confidential service connecting the caller to a live voice ready to help.

211 offers services such as social, community, health and government related services, things like basic human needs, shelter, food banks, free clothing, support resources.

Other services include seniors services and support, new people into the community looking for assistance, and those in need of community service access.

“It’s an innovative service delivery system with an easy to remember telephone number, providing free, 24-7 confidential access to information referral and an internet based service, 211ontarionorth.ca.,”said Marie Klassen, Director of Services for 211 Northern Region and Lakehead Social Planning Council.

“The 211 Centre in Thunder Bay was the fifth of eight centres in Ontario to embrace 211 and we’ve been in operation since February of 2008. We’ve been delivering services to the district of Thunder Bay, Rainy River, Algoma, and today, Kenora. Since we launched in Thunder Bay, the staff have responded to close to 100,000 calls,” said Klassen.

The next locations to be included in the 211 North expanse include Sudbury, Timiskaming, Sudbury, Manitoulin, and Nippissing.

First Nations and French-speaking clients will have their files converted to the appropriate language, for ease of use next time the client calls.

There are two types of calls that come in to 211 North, being information and referral. Klassen describes an information call as a caller looking to find out the contact information for their local MPP office.

“Referral is, for example, a young mother who has been a victim of domestic violence, has three children, one of which has a disability, has been evicted, no where to go, no money, and has a dog,” said Klassen. “So, that is a very complex scenario, but is an example of a referral call.”

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