United Way officially launches new Saskatchewan 211 features
It’s rare that a simple website expansion can have such a major impact on lives all over the province but the newest services on the Saskatchewan 211 site could very well mean the world for someone in a position where they need help, and fast.
The site officially launched their phone, text and chat services, broadening the range of availability that sk.211.ca offers when it comes to their database of over 5,000 community, health and government programs across the province.
The 211 system is operated by the United Way, with representatives from the umbrella charity on hand for the official unveiling.
“The United Way is all about working in communities to help remove barriers and help people to live more full lives,” said Shaun Dyer, CEO of the United Way of Saskatoon and Area, who was joined by his counterparts from the United Way of Regina. “One of the barriers to living well in communities is knowing how to access and locate the services they need for living well and support.” “Everybody needs help, so 211, with the phone, text and chat services means that there’s several less fewer steps that we need to take now to find those services and support. So, we think that by having that tool literally in people’s hands, the ability to get over barriers will be that much better.” The array of service contacts 211 offers is impressive -- 20 categories of services ranging from crisis hotlines, mental health and addictions services to employment and legal services to refugee, aboriginal and veteran support. Each category features a long list of options that visitors can use to contact whatever assistance they may need in over 100 languages.
The site itself has been in existence and continuously growing since 2013. The new features modernize the options to reach those in need and have been thoroughly tested for stability. “We’ve been soft testing it; we’ve been focus-group testing it; we’ve had service providers use it and play around with it and give us feedback, so we’ve thought this through really well,” Dyer said. “We’re really proud of the product and the feedback we’re getting on it.”
The site had 110,000 users click through last year alone. An anony- mous survey found that 86 per cent of those found the help they needed and 46 per cent of those found assistance they didn’t know was available. “Just that data alone is encouraging,” Dyer said. “When we see people find what they need through this, it’s such a sense of satisfaction. But we are in an age where there’s limited resources, so data-driven responses and evidence-based resources are critical. We don’t want to just put something out there that just feels right, we want to put something out there that’s going to change people’s lives.”
And they’re going to have the money to do it – the launch revealed that 211 Saskatchewan has received a threeyear commitment of $150,000 from CanPacific Potash, as well as $600,000 over three years from the Community Initiative Fund.
“The beauty of the corporate support we have is they believe in the longevity of the service,” said Dyer. “They don’t see this as a three-year pilot project, they see this as ‘for the first three years we’re going to make sure you’re robust and stable and will be able to build the infrastructure to keep this going forward’. Having that kind of support is really critical and is going to make sure this service will be there for those who need it.”