211 Overview

Pennsylvania 211:
Get Connected. Get Help.™

If you need to connect with resources in your community, but don’t know where to look, PA 211 is a great place to start. From help with a utilities bill, to housing assistance, after-school programs for kids, and more, you can dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211 to talk with a resource specialist for free. Our specialists will listen to your needs, and give you information on programs in your community that might be able to help.

Visit our search page to explore programs available in your community by categories such as financial assistance, housing, and food. You can also connect with a resource specialist via chat during business hours.

To see data on the requests made to PA 211 over time, with the option to filter by county, district, or needs categories, visit PA’s page on 211 Counts.

What Does 211 Do?

No matter the situation, the specialists at 211 listen, identify underlying problems, and connect people in need with resources and services in their community that improve their lives. In 2023, PA 211 answered more than 385,000 calls, texts, and chats, and people connected to resources on the web over 903,000 times. We connect community members in need to life-changing support.

211 provides unmatched, critical services — 211 is a vital service leveraged by millions of people across North America. Every day, clients contact 211 to access free and confidential crisis and emergency counseling, disaster assistance, food, health care and insurance assistance, stable housing and utilities payment assistance, employment services, veteran services and childcare and family services.
211 provides expert, caring help — No matter the situation, the specialists at 211 listen, identify underlying problems, and connect people in need with resources and services in their community that improve their lives.
211 meets real needs in real time — In 2021 alone, PA 211 connected Pennsylvanians to community resources over 830,ooo times, helping provide life-changing support. The top needs addressed during this time were housing, utilities assistance, health and COVID-19, employment and income, and food. 211 has its finger on the pulse of community needs unlike any other network.
211 tackles underlying root causes – 211 does more than “patch people through” to agencies. Instead, 211 specialists are trained to identify and address root causes of a client’s problem – and connect them with a wide range of available resources that meet all the underlying needs, not just the one that prompted the call or text.
211 exemplifies United Way’s fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community.
211 makes the social services ecosystem/network more efficient by ensuring people in need are connected to agencies that can help them.
By supporting 211, companies and individuals can be part of solving community problems and helping individuals.