211 Data Pulse
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Impact Stories
211 SNAPSHOT: BOBBI RIDDICK
Bobbi Riddick has dedicated her professional life to helping others – especially Connecticut residents struggling to make ends meet.
As the Community Impact Program Manager for the for the Connecticut Coalition to End Homeless (CCEH), Bobbi specializes in fostering collaborations between providers, state agencies and communities to empower families to find safe, affordable housing.
Collaborating with 211 has helped her “become an expert on how truly helpful and meaningful” the program is.
“The 211 database is so important,” she says. “People can explore short-term alternatives, long term options. It’s all there. Or they can call – there’s nothing like talking to a 211 Contact Specialist,” she adds, referring to the trained, empathic folks who answer the call every hour of every day of week, 365 days a year.
“People need a real, live caring person to talk to when they are in crisis – especially when it comes to housing. Not everyone is tech savvy. For example, we’re seeing an increase in the number of Connecticut seniors facing housing insecurity. They want a compassionate human being who is really listening and who can help them.”
CCEH also relies on 211 for the resource mapping it does to assess the effectiveness of homelessness intervention pathways – and in following up on individual cases, where individuals have trouble lining up permanent housing.
“We might reach out to 211 and say, ‘Hey, we’ve noticed this particular household has called us a few times. Can you help us track the resources they’ve tried and work with us to find out their next steps?’ 211 has the data, which keeps all of the group working on the case on the same page – and allows us to do a deeper dive into effective intervention.”
Finally, Bobbi and her colleagues find 211 “great for upstreaming awareness” in communities. “Part of our work is to transfer knowledge and resources to communities, so neighbors can recommend solutions to each other. A person might reach out to 211 and learn about all kinds of organizations in their area that can help not just them, but their family, friends and neighbors.”
Providing on-demand support and resources for individuals in crisis – linking arms with groups like CCEH to build pathways to brighter futures: these are just some of the ways 211 helps CT residents thrive 24/7/365!
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