Santa Cruz County has a well-deserved reputation for caring about people.
That's just one reason the drive to establish a 211 phone referral service, spearheaded by the United Way of Santa Cruz County, is both overdue and essential.
The service already is available for about 90 percent of California residents. The free service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and connects local people with health and human service assistance through a phone call -- much like a 911 call provides emergency assistance.
A local call center could provide people in need with information about food and shelter, elderly people with medical services, people experiencing mental health problems with counseling.
It also could prove a lifesaver in natural disasters. In 2007, San Diego residents displaced by a huge wildfire were able to find coordinated assistance by dialing 211, which received 130,000 calls seeking information.
The system has been around for a decade, since the Federal Communications Commission designated the three-digit code for health and human services information. No money was provided, however, to help set up the service.
Monterey County's 211 system just celebrated its first anniversary. Organizers, led by United Way of Monterey County, say the service has logged 13,000 calls about housing, shelter and legal services plus information about food assistance, mental health counseling and family supportive programs.
Santa Cruz County, however, is still seeking the money to get 211 under way. The cost is negligible, considering the services offered -- $142,000 annually.
To raise the money, the local United Way is asking 14 local government and foundation sponsors to make small grants, along with corporations and individuals. The goal is to get the service operating by July 1.
Unfortunately, the Scotts Valley City Council, which considered a request for $5,000 as its share of funding the service, questioned if the city has the money at this time. We hope that before making a final decision, council members consider the cost of providing referral information if a natural disaster strikes.
United Way of Santa Cruz County has done an admirable job of carefully planning how to bring 211 to help local people. And, in a year where many budgets are tight, it has put together a proposal using a call center in San Francisco that is both frugal and feasible. In a county with as many nonprofits and human-service agencies as ours, 211 is a natural.
It's time for local sponsors to step forward and make 211 happen.
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