Jess was desperate.
As an unhoused, single mom, she struggled daily to secure shelter and safety for herself and her four-year-old son. Most of the time, the pair ended up sleeping in Jess’s car night after night, with just blankets for warmth.
Whenever she could afford to, she would check them into a hotel room for a few nights in a row, where they could be warm and enjoy clean beds, a private bathroom and a hot shower. But this wasn’t very often.
Then Jess heard about 211. She learned that by simply dialing 2-1-1, she could talk to a caring, knowledgeable person who could connect her to services, programs and local organizations who could help her navigate housing supports. She called, and a 211 Contact Specialist comforted her, listened to her story and acknowledged the severity of her needs.
After assessing Jess’ situation, our Contact Specialist determined her eligibility and scheduled her for an appointment with a family homelessness prevention program serving communities in Eastern CT. The next day, Jess showed up – and secured safe, emergency shelter for her and her son. After a week of living in the shelter and attending appointments with the organization, Jess worked with the Connecticut Coordinated Access Network (CAN) to secure an apartment.
Now, Jess and her son live in stable housing that she’s able to afford – and she knows where to turn for help if she needs it.
Stabilizing a family and ensuring the dignity of proper shelter is challenging work that starts with the right connections – connections that start with a single call to 211.
*211 client’s name has been changed to protect her identity