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United Way's 2-1-1 helpline handled tens of thousands of local requests, committee hears
Summary
United Way told the Cincinnati City Council Economic and Cultural Opportunity Committee that the 2-1-1 helpline received more than 50,000 calls last year, with housing, utilities and food the top needs; the service is testing closed-loop referrals and data tools to better target interventions.
Vice Mayor Jan Michelle Lemmonkerny on Monday invited United Way leaders to brief the Cincinnati City Council Economic and Cultural Opportunity Committee on the 2-1-1 helpline and data products the nonprofit is using to track local needs.
Maura Weir, president and CEO of United Way, said 2-1-1 is a 24/7 helpline in a national network and reported "we received over 50,000 calls last year," with "38,582 actually came from city residents," and that the top three issues callers request help for are housing, utilities and food. Weir told the committee the service operates regionally across nine counties but sees a majority of requests from Cincinnati.
"We invest right now 100% philanthropy dollars; it costs us about $2,100,000 to operate the 2-1-1 platform," Weir said, and cited a chamber-commissioned return-on-investment analysis she said showed a roughly 3-to-1 return: "for every dollar you invest, $3 get redistributed back into the community for community resources."
Amy Weber, chief impact officer at United Way, described data and consent changes that allow callers to opt in to profiles so the service can track recurring needs and demographic patterns. "We also made a really important shift about a year and a half ago from treating everyone as anonymous to actually allowing folks to opt in to share more information about them and create a profile," Weber said, adding that the change supports tailored follow-up and local planning.
Weber outlined a pilot of a closed-loop referral process that sends a text survey to callers after a referral and allows partner organizations to accept and confirm referrals so United Way can measure whether callers reached the intended service. She said the system can support API-based transfers or platform access for partners that have the necessary data infrastructure and client consent.
Committee members asked about language access, coordination with city systems and current demand. Weber said Spanish-speaking staff handle some calls and a language-line interpreter covers other languages; she also said 2-1-1 coordinates with 311 and uses warm handoffs to 988 for mental health crises while directing true emergencies to 911. Weir said the organization saw a 277% increase in call volume during a recent SNAP benefits concern and that overall demand has remained high.
Vice Chair Seth Walsh and Council Member Anna Albee praised the service's role in the local safety net. Chair Vice Mayor Jan Michelle Lemmonkerny said, "211 is available 24/7," described having used the service personally and, without objection, the committee agreed to file United Way's report for public access. The report includes a city heat map and lists common referral partners such as Saint Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army, Cincinnati Hamilton County Community Action Agency, Duke Energy and Hamilton County Job and Family Services.
The committee did not take a formal vote on funding for 2-1-1 during the meeting; members discussed data-sharing and next steps for using 2-1-1 insights to support upstream interventions for eviction prevention and workforce connections.
