When someone at Aloha United Way picks up the phone to answer their 211 resource hotline, there's no telling how the conversation might unfold.
Jennifer Pecher, the vice president of 211’s community response programs, fondly remembers a few calls that stand out among the thousands they receive every year.
Once, someone called in because they had noticed an older woman at the store who they thought might be lonely. She said they wanted to know if there were any kūpuna events or organizations Aloha United might recommend the next time they saw her.
Another time, a woman called the hotline because her child wanted to learn to ride a bike — but she had never learned to ride one herself.
“We connected them with a resource in our database where mom and keiki were able to learn together,” Pecher said.
The 211 hotline fields all kinds of questions from residents. However, not all calls are so light-hearted.
In fact, people often call on their worst day, such as when they can’t make rent, they’re worried about how to put food on the table, or are struggling to keep the lights on.
“The top three requests are always rent, utility and food,” Pecher said.
Last year, Hawaiʻi saw a spike in utility disconnections as people struggled to keep up with their electric bills. The 211 hotline reflected a need for utility assistance as it was the number one request among callers last year.
But Pecher said there's a gap between the resources that 211 can offer and the needs of the community.
Of the roughly 47,000 callers that reached out to 211 last year, about 2,900 people were told there was no resource in United Way’s database that could help them. Pecher said it's in part because many programs that started offering assistance during the pandemic have ended or are winding down.
“When we track unmet needs, we also track why. And one of the main reasons why, for utility assistance, is that the program is out of resources, meaning that they've run out of funds to give to folks,” Pecher said.
She added that it’s a frustrating position for people on both sides of the phone.
“The challenging part for us is that the need is still there,” Pecher said. “These are our neighbors, right? If there isn't anything that we can help them with, it's so disheartening.”
Other resource providers have noticed the same trend. Nick Severson, the managing attorney of the housing consumer unit at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi, said many Hawaiʻi residents are stretched so thinly trying to make ends meet that it doesn’t take much for them to break.
“There's a health care expense that comes up, or a loss of employment or a reduction of hours,” Severson said. “Someone just needs a couple months to bridge that gap. And in the early years of COVID, there was money that was readily available.”
Although there may be fewer resources to go around, both Pecher and Severson emphasized that it’s important that residents reach out for assistance if they’re struggling. Taking that step can help people avoid the worst outcomes of missed payments, like utility disconnections or eviction.
“The earlier that you can engage, the easier it is to try to come up with solutions,” Severson said.
And if you need a place to get started? Trying calling 211.
