New Hampshire has become the 19th state to implement a state-wide 211 phone system. This free service was started by the United Way to provide easy access to information on a variety of community health and human services. Callers who dial 211 within New Hampshire (or 1-866-444-4211 from outside of the state) are connected to a specialist who gets them to the agency or organization that can answer their questions.
By providing access to this information, the service hopes to help New Hampshire residents quickly find critical information without resorting to calling 911 for non-emergencies.
Visit www.211nh.org to learn more. On the site you can also view the list of available information. Click on “Find Help” in the menu and you’ll see the following major categories:
- Basic Needs,
- Consumer Services
- Criminal Justice and Legal Services
- Education
- Environmental Quality
- Health Care
- Income Security
- Individual and Family Life
- Mental Health Care and Counseling
- Organization/Community/International Services
- Target Populations
There are a variety of ways to search the categories, or you can enter your zip code and browse for resources specific to your community. Using the browse feature, it took me less than a minute to find the state office responsible for day care licensing.
With access to important information literally a few button presses away, 211 New Hampshire is a resource that all New Hampshire residents should know about.
