Liliana began working as a 211 Contact Specialist four years ago. But before that, she was a 211 caller. “I contacted 211 looking for resources for my little brother, and the support that we received from 211 was especially helpful to my family and me.”
Now, Liliana is a 211 Contact Center Supervisor, ably connecting people from every zip code with resources, information and support every day. It’s a career that can be heartbreaking but that she ultimately finds deeply rewarding – especially when people reach out for help with the most basic needs, like heat or a meal to eat.
“Recently, an elderly disabled man called in seeking food,” she shares. “After an assessment, I determined that the caller hadn’t eaten in about two days. We were able to connect him to the Meals on Wheels program for ongoing support, but we also connected him with a local food pantry that was able to arrange a same-day delivery to him” for immediate relief.
Then there was the mother with young children whose electricity had been shut off that morning, right before Thanksgiving. “She didn’t know what to do, and she was scared,” Liliana recalls. Liliana and her team provided resources and specific guidance for completing an application for utility assistance. And her services did not end there. “We followed up the next week,” Liliana says. “I was happy to confirm that her lights had been restored, and [the caller] shared how thankful she was to speak to us that day.”
211 has seen a 300% increase in requests for help since 2019 – and that’s not including our COVID response. Like most 211 Contact Specialists, Liliana has found it stressful seeing call volume spike, while the number of 211 Contact Specialists remains limited. “We want to speak to everyone in a timely way and give everyone the attention, respect and empathy that they deserve.”
That’s why she’s thankful that last month, Governor Lamont and the Connecticut legislature committed $2.6 million in 211 funding from Connecticut’s Emergency Response Reserve Fund. Speaking at the Governor’s press conference announcing this support, she stated:
“I’m proud to work for 211, because we support the people who are most vulnerable. The more Contact Specialists we have on the phones, the more people we’re able to connect with support for food and their other basic needs.
Our goal is to assist families just like mine to connect to those resources before they reach a full-blown crisis. I’m honored to do this work every day, and I’m grateful to our partner, the state of Connecticut.”