Here is a story about one of our 211 callers, as told by Daphne, a 211 call center specialist at United Way of the Bay Area.

Darla, a San Mateo County school-district worker, knows what it’s like to have her finances fall apart because of illness. When her father had open heart surgery, she had to give up her job in order to care for both of her aging parents.

Her husband’s income wasn’t enough to keep up with the bills, and they were soon falling behind on rent, PG&E, and water. Darla said she was so shocked by one month’s water bill that she made her husband check to see if there might be a water leak (there wasn’t).

She felt her life was in constant stress, and because of her dad’s rising medical bills, she needed to ask for her help.  When she called 211, I picked up the phone.

I was able to refer Darla to several local agencies that could help her family get back on track – programs that provide temporary rent and PG&E assistance, as well as discounts on auto insurance and the internet service that she uses daily to home school her daughter. I also referred Darla to a program that, if her parents are eligible, could pay her to take care of them.

Darla was surprised by the number of resources we were able to give her and thankful.

If you find you are in such financial distress that you don’t have enough money for food – or perhaps even for a place to live – call 211. Our call center specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist people who suddenly find themselves in financial peril, which can happen alarmingly quickly in these tough economic times.

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