AUW's 211 hot line provides referral connection

By Shayna Coleon
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Aloha United Way yesterday launched its statewide telephone hot line to provide callers with referrals to social, employment and health agencies.

Hawai'i residents can now dial 211 on any island if they need help finding information about health insurance, medical referrals, drug abuse treatments, counseling, job openings or emergency family aid, said AUW President Irving Lauber.

The free and confidential 211 phone service, financed by $300,000 from AUW, will refer callers to 1,700 government agencies and private nonprofit organizations.

The hot line will also help people in times of emergency, said Larry Kanada, a state Civil Defense hazard mitigation officer. "It only takes one (emergency), to make things chaotic and to have people in need," Kanada said. "And, by providing this service we'll be ready for the next event."

Honolulu Police Maj. Kenneth Simmons said the hot line will also help reduce calls to the 911 emergency number, which sometimes gets nonemergency calls asking for assistance.

The hot line will connect callers to the same information provided by ASK-2000, but 211 is a simplified number that is accessible 24 hours a day. ... The ASK-2000 telephone service was only open 10 hours a day, Lauber said.

The 211 calls are answered by 17 trained operators, who were hired by AUW.

"With Aloha United Way 211, Hawai'i became only the second state — Connecticut was the first — in the nation with a statewide 211 service," Lauber said. "We're very pleased to be one of the leaders."

Reach Shayna Coleon at scoleon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8004.

Correction: The 211 telephone hotline is operated by Aloha United Way, an earlier version of this story contained incorrect information because of a reporter's error.