Central Michigan 211 helpline expands as demand increases

The informational referral service hot-line 2-1-1 is expanding to make access to services more widespread in Central Michigan. The service, which currently covers 7 counties in the Jackson area, will expand to include Genesee and Shiawassee counties. With the two added counties, Central Michigan could go from serving about 900,000 to 1.4 million people.

The call center received 61,850 calls — 22,450 calls in Jackson — in 2009, and is on pace to top that this year. The center took more than 40,400 calls in its coverage area — 13,804 in Jackson County — between January and July of this year, according to the most recent reports.

Most of the callers find the help they’re looking for. For example in July, 211 took 5,452 calls in its coverage area. Of those calls, 4,988 — or 91.5 percent — were from people whose needs were met.

Read the full article: http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2010/09/central_michigan_211_helpline.html