The United Way of Southwest Georgia celebrated 211 day, the annual observance of the three-digit resource that helps people get connected to local resources and services, on Feb. 10. It celebrated by hosting the first event in a series of events forUnited for ALICE, a program that helps those that are working but still struggle because they don’t qualify for any assistance like childcare, housing and food accessibility.

United Way partnered with Dougherty County School System’s Department of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) to targetfamilies that are working but are ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed. The FACE Department overseescommunity outreach efforts, including the district’s Wraparound Services Program and development of the Family Resource and Support Center. 

On Saturday, United Way served 35 working families from the Dougherty County School System – about 150 people. Families received“Blessing Bags” with coats, socks, diapers, paper towels, toilet paper, pantry staples, meat, fresh produce and more.

Families were also connected to resources from different agencies, including:

1. Youth United

2. United Way 211 Resource Line

3. NAMI

4. Feeding The Valley

5. ARC of Southwest Georgia

6. Liberty House

7. Lily Pad

8. DCSS Family and Community Engagement (FACE)

9. Helping Mamas

10. Albany Technical College Adult Education

11. Albany Parks & Recreation

12. Dougherty County Legal Self Help Center

13. DCSS Social Workers

14. Amerigroup

15. Dougherty County Extension

16. Department of Public Health

17. Faith Community Outreach Center

18. New Visions Community Development

19. Albany Housing Authority – Youth Build

20. ASU Social Workers

21. Cutliff Grove Family Resource Center

Cindy Wisham, Community Impact Director, said it was a successful first event for ALICE, and the United Way looks forward to doing more for these ALICE families. “Everybody was so very appreciative of the opportunity to receive some services not just based on income,” she said. 

For a growing number of U.S. households, financial stability is challenging, no matter how hard their members work. These households are ALICE – earning above the Federal Poverty Level yet struggling to afford basic expenses. These families that are working, may have 2 incomes but are below a livable wage.

The Georgia ALICE survey was released on February 6. It showed that out of 3.95 million households in Georgia, 34% are hardworkingfamilies who are living under the threshold of financial stability based on the state’s 2021 cost of living data. 

In Dougherty County, 57% of families are ALICE Households, meaning over half of the families in the community struggle each day, Wisham said. 

“These are our neighbors, who are working but struggle to find the means to pay the escalating costs of housing, food, utilities, just thebasics of life,” Wisham said. “They find it difficult to save because it literally takes everything to survive. These are not the ones who seek assistance month after month, they just need a helping hand now and then to help overcome. We hope by offering resources in areas other than just financial assistance, they can overcome the ALICE threshold.”

Sunday, February 11^th, was 211 Day. 2-1-1 is a vital hotline that connects millions of people in the U.S. and Canada – including those in southwestGeorgia – to assistance with disaster, food, health care, mental health, insurance, stable housing, utility payment, veteran services, childcare and other related needs. 

United Way of Southwest Georgia’s hotline is operational Monday – Thursday 9:00AM-2:00PM but anyone can leave a message 24/7. Lastyear, in southwest Georgia, the United Way responded to 4,044 211 calls in the community for help for immediate or long-term challenges,Wisham said. Of the data collected from 2023, compared to 2022, numbers show there was a 36% increase in calls for financial assistance forrent and utility in the Albany area. There were 892 calls for utility assistance alone. 

Established in 2000 by the Federal Communications Commission as the three-digit number to reach information and referral services forhealth, human, and social organizations, today 211 is a resource for help and hope in communities, like [Anytown], across North America. Lastyear, the 211 network received 18 million requests and made a total of 19 million referrals for local services.