A Citrus Times Editorial

Published December 28, 2005

It can be difficult for government and social service agencies to measure the impact on their community of their decisions, especially when it comes to gauging the effects of new initiatives aimed at helping people.

Industry, for example, can count the increased number of cars, televisions or widgets rolling off the assembly lines. Department stores can see that there have been more sales. Such measurements, however, are largely unavailable in the social service sector.

All the more reason, then, to pay attention to a recent report to the county on the first six months of the 211 telephone system. The numbers are both surprising and promising.

The 211 system is essentially an emergency telephone operation similar to the 911 system, with a few key differences. Callers to 211 are in need, sometimes in emergencies, but not in the life-and-death situations that would require immediate response by police or rescue workers.

The 211 system is for people who need help with emergency housing, food, clothing and other essentials. They might want to reach an agency for help with substance abuse or to get assistance caring for an elderly parent. Callers are connected with various agencies in Citrus County that can help with their specific needs.

Before Citrus County joined the nationwide drive to make 211 available, people in such dire need would have little recourse than to call the 911 system. Not only was this tying up the emergency lines, it was not serving the callers' needs.

After a comprehensive analysis by the county Health Department showed the need for the 211 system here, the County Commission signed on this year, approving $22,000 to get the program started.

In May, the county partnered with the Citrus County United Way and the Shared Services Alliance to begin offering the 211 service. Tampa Bay Cares Inc., a call center in Pinellas County, was hired to operate the phone system, which refers callers to the appropriate agency in Citrus.

Among the benefits of the 211 system is that the organizers will make regular reports to the county on the program so that the decisionmakers and the public can track how well the system is working.

The first such report, covering the period from May 1 through Oct. 31, showed that the system received a remarkable 771 calls for help. Just having that many calls diverted from the 911 system alone is worth the county's investment. But the rewards go much further.

The report provides an interesting snapshot of the face of the neediest among us.

Based on the statistics, the typical caller to 211 is a woman, between 18 and 59 years old, living in the Inverness area. She is most likely to be looking for help to pay her electric bill.

Of the 771 calls, 62 percent were from females, and 78 percent of those were in the adult category up to age 59. Another 18 percent were between 60 and 90 years old.

Inverness led the way in calls, followed closely by Homosassa and then Crystal River. After a bit of a drop-off in the number of calls, Hernando, Beverly Hills, Dunnellon, and Lecanto fell into line.

Besides help with the power bills, callers sought assistance with everything from car insurance and child support to day care, medical bills and utilities. Other needs included shelter, mental health counseling, food and disaster assistance.

By far, the agency receiving the most referrals was Daystar Life Center in Crystal River. Next on the list were at least 24 other providers, led by the Salvation Army, the county's own Housing Services Division, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, the Path rescue mission and Citrus United Basket.

There are a number of observations from this initial progress report:

Women, presumably low-income mothers, are bearing an inordinate burden of caring for themselves and others in Citrus County.

Residents of the county's two cities, plus Homosassa, are far and away more likely to seek assistance than are the folks living in the more affluent Central Ridge neighborhoods.

Money, or rather the lack of it, is at the root of the overwhelming number of requests for assistance. In a county dominated by low-paying service industry jobs, this is hardly a surprise.

People are trying to keep their heads above water financially and to provide for their families' basic needs, but they are finding it difficult. The callers' priorities are to find help paying for utilities, shelter and related expenses.

The report also demonstrates clearly that Citrus County certainly needed this service, and the 211 system is proving its worth daily.