Sarasota County must act to restore funding for critical 211 helpline
Every word in the conversation dripped with concern.
The 92-year-old caller reached out to United Way Suncoast after learning Sarasota County residents will no longer have access to 211 after April 1. She shared she had never sought social services until her husband recently died. They made do with their Social Security checks but after his death, she needed added support.
A call to 211 led her to acquire a free mobile phone and eliminate a monthly bill of $89. She asked several times, “Who will I call if I need more help?”
She’s not alone in asking that question, because the Sarasota County Commission has chosen to defund 211 and deny its residents a lifeline to critical services.
United Way Suncoast, our 211 partners – Glasser/ Schoenbaum Society and Heart of Florida United Way – and an array of nonprofits and foundations have joined us in asking the commission to restore the funding.
The commission’s Sept. 11 decision will eliminate a service that hundreds of thousands of Sarasota County residents have come to rely on for more than 40 years.
Here are some statistics on 211 during fiscal year 2023, which covered the period of October 2022 through September 2023:
● 211’s trained call specialists answered 11,863 calls and responded to an additional 4,685 electronic communications (chat/text/email).
● Callers received 18,828 referrals, which created a pipeline for community members and the local organizations that provide more than 1,900 services.
Clearly, the loss of 211 will be as crippling for nonprofits as it will be for community residents. A March 5 Herald-Tribune story detailed how the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness shared its concerns about losing 211 during a recent North Port City Commission meeting.
Local foundations and donors also have concerns about the loss of 211. Why? Because of the Sarasota County Commission’s decision, the community investments made by local foundations and donors to support an array of nonprofits will be disrupted because the system that efficiently created a connected network of area resources will cease to exist.
After April 1, the 211 number will direct Sarasota County residents to the county’s 311 line, but 311 is different from 211. It doesn’t have the curated system of nonprofits to effectively make referrals, and it’s only staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. There will no longer be a line available 24 hours a day, seven days a week – and we all know that a crisis can occur anytime.
Since the Sarasota County Commission eliminated funding, United Way Suncoast officials have met with four commissioners and the county administrator to explain why 211 should remain a public-private partnership.
We’ve also detailed the vital role that 211 plays in the wake of disasters: After Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Idalia in 2023, 211 specialists fielded 2,287 calls from Sarasota County residents who were seeking food and shelter.
We’re asking the board to craft a more positive funding solution, not for our organizations but for all the people who have come to rely on the vital services provided by 211. If you believe in 211, please contact your Sarasota County commissioners today.
Jessica Muroff is the CEO of United Way Suncoast, a nonprofit that serves Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.