Calls to 211 helpline soar during COVID-19 pandemic
Need for housing, food and mental health services climbed in the past year
An Ottawa community organization says distress calls to the city's 211 service have climbed by 44 per cent since last spring, with operators fielding hundreds of calls a day during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The highest ones right now are mental health issues, but food and financial difficulties and housing [are the other issues] we get numerous calls on," said John Hoyles, executive director of Community Navigation Eastern Ontario, which oversees the service.
The 211 number was launched in 2008 by The United Way as an alternative to 911, which is for emergencies that require police or firefighters, and 311, which puts people in touch with municipal government services.
For those in need of shelter, food, legal help or mental health services, a call to 211 will streamline the process and help people navigate the myriad of government and community social services available in the region.
Mayor Jim Watson has proclaimed Thursday 211 Day in Ottawa, as part of a national campaign to raise awareness about the service and to celebrate the front-line workers who advise callers on what to do.
"With 211, you simply call us, we talk to you and we connect you to the service you need," said Hoyles.
"[That includes] isolated seniors to people who are looking for a food bank. Or we might have a chat with a teenager who is trying to get out of a human trafficking situation."
Time spent on calls also increasing
Not only is the volume of calls greater, but the time people spend on the phone is longer because callers' problems have become more complex during the pandemic, Hoyles said.
Even so, wait times are short — often less than 60 seconds — and the service can help people in desperate situations from making countless calls, he added.
Last spring the federal government invested $10 million to set up 211 in underserved provinces and territories and hire more staff nationwide to raise the service's profile.
"There is a lot of need right now, " said Roxanne Brunet, who has been answering 211 calls in the Ottawa region for 12 years.
Brunet says during the pandemic, she's heard a lot of stories from callers about their loneliness and sense of isolation.
"I like to take the extra couple of minutes to make a connection," said Brunet. "I think we all need that bit of extra empathy and connection right now."
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