Safety Net

Community Challenges

United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island, a 24-hour information and referral helpline, received 45% more calls from homeless Rhode Islanders in 2010 than they did in the previous year.

United Way in Action

Jeanne Gattegno and Paul Salera
of Westbay Community Action partner with
United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island to help people
during times of crisis, meeting their basic needs such as
food and shelter.

When all else fails, people need one single place to turn for help, so we will build the capacity of United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island, to receive 200,000 calls a year, helping people to access services that support them when they need help to get through. THE POINT is the resource network for long-term care options and support for seniors, adults with disabilities and their caregivers. It is operated by United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island on behalf of the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs.

Impacting Our Community

• United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island handled more than 152,000 calls last year, 26% more than the previous year.
• Of those calls, 5,760 were from individuals who exhausted their unemployment assistance and needed help.
• In November 2010, United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island began a working partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training to help ensure people exhausting their unemployment assistance are connected to "safety net" services such as food, shelter and housing assistance.
• THE POINT took more than 28,000 calls from seniors and adults with disabilities in 2010 - an increase of 75% over last year.
• THE POINT helped more than 30,000 seniors and adults with disabilities enroll in Medicare and Medicaid, and provided assistance regarding long-term care, group and nursing homes, and prescription programs.
• United Way of Rhode Island is the Administrator of the Emergency Food & Shelter Program. In 2010, approximately $965,000 was awarded to shelters, food pantries and soup kitchens.
• 12,727 individuals were helped in meeting their basic needs such as housing.
• 2,736 immigrants were served in 2010, which included helping them access legal services and English literacy classes.

We are making progress, thanks to people like you. Yet, we also know that many in our community still need help. So, please LIVE UNITED by making a contribution to United Way of Rhode Island's Community Impact Fund today.

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