SWEETWATER COUNTY — Wyoming 211’s mission is to provide information on resources available to Wyomingites for health and social services in their community.

During a recent Rock Springs Chamber Luncheon, 211 Associate Director Tricia Angelovich spoke to Sweetwater County residents about Wyoming 211. 211 works with the State of Wyoming and the Department of Health and acts as a community resource database call center to help Wyoming residents, she said.

“Every day, every hour, people need essential services,” Angelovich said.

Wyoming 211 can help residents find those essential and life-changing services.

Sometimes Wyomingites just don’t know who to call for help and so they call 911, Angelovich said. For example, if someone is struggling with food insecurities, they may not know if their community has a food bank or where it’s located. A quick call to 211 and the caller will receive all of that information.

211 isn’t just for Wyomingites. In fact, it is a nation-wide program created in 2001 by the Federal Communications Commission. “The purpose of 211 was to take the pressure off of 911 calls,” she said.

For residents who are more comfortable conversing through text, that option is also available. Just text 898211 for a live response 24/7.

Regardless of whether residents are calling 211, texting 898211 or accessing the website, the goal is to provide residents a way to find the resources they need.

“Wyoming 211 makes it easy to find food, housing, job training and much more,” the website wy211.communityos.org states. “Wyoming 211 provides the most current and comprehensive database of community resources in the State of Wyoming, which serves as a central access point for connecting Wyoming’s residents to community resources.”

Usually, residents find out about Wyoming 211 through law enforcement officials. Officers will often provide residents in need with a 211 card or tell them about the service so they can get the help they need without taking the officer away from other duties.

“Oftentimes law enforcement see people in their worst situations and (when) they’re most vulnerable,” Angelovich said.

For those who are concerned about who is answering the phone calls, Angelovich said the community resource specialists are trained for eight weeks before they take any calls.

Not only does Wyoming 211 answer phone calls and provide help to those seeking it, they keep track of data and statistics so they know what areas each county is asking about. Looking at the data gives them a better idea of where resources might be lacking.

When comparing Sweetwater County with Wyoming’s statistics, the trend is pretty similar.

In 2022, the call center received 3,800 calls with around 600 of those being COVID-19 related. In 2020 the call center was asked to work with the Department of Health and take COVID-19 related calls to help residents. Out of the callers, 21.7 percent were calling to search of information on housing, 20.7 percent were seeking information on utility assistance, 16.7 percent had healthcare questions and 13.6 percent had questions related to food insecurities.

In 2022, Sweetwater County received 409 requests. Out of those requests, 25.9 percent were healthcare or COVID-19 related, 17.8 percent were seeking information on housing and shelter, 15.6 percent were related to utilities, 13 percent were food related, and 11 percent were asking about transportation assistance.

Those seeking information from 211 vary quite a bit. From an elderly person in need of transportation or health insurance, to someone who has been laid off and is trying to find a job, 211 can help connect them with local resources to help. They can also help with mental health, addiction, crisis, and other resources.

Not only does 211 help residents with finding resources, but in the event of a natural disaster emergency it would work with the Department of Homeland Security and Wyoming National Guard to distribute important information and act as the state’s call center.

The call center is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, the website is always available.