Nearly a third of 211 callers in P.E.I. last year asked for help related to cost of living

Nearly 30 per cent of the calls received by the 211 service on Prince Edward Island in 2024 were related to the cost of living, the organization says.

211 P.E.I. is a navigation service associated with the United Way that links people with community resources, government support and non-profit programs. The service is offered in other jurisdictions across Canada and the United States as well.

When someone on P.E.I. hits the numbers 2-1-1 on a phone, they reach a community resource navigator who will help find the services they are looking for.

"Our navigators work really hard with people to make sure they're getting the right information to direct them to the right place," said Ghislaine O'Hanley, the 211 educator with 211 P.E.I. 

What is 211 P.E.I., and how does it connect callers to the help they need?

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Almost a third of the calls 211 P.E.I. received last year were from people struggling to cope with the rising cost of living. CBC's Taylor O'Brien spoke with workers from the organization to learn more about how it helps Islanders get the support they need.

She said concerns about dealing with the high cost of living accounted for 29.3 per cent of their calls last year. Other top requests involved finding mental health and addiction supports and access to primary health care. 

O'Hanley said people can sometimes feel frustrated because there are so many services available but it's hard to decipher which ones apply to their particular situation. 

"At 211, we like to say, 'We're the right door the first time,'" she said.

Navigators trained to 'walk the walk' with callers

Paula Rent, the co-ordinator of service quality and training for 211 on P.E.I. and Nova Scotia, said one local community navigator in Prince Edward Island receives the vast majority of calls from Islanders. Nova Scotia navigators will also get P.E.I. calls, though.

During five weeks of training, she said, new navigators will learn how to respond to a call and figure out the caller's needs.

"We want them to know that although we may not be in their position, we will walk the walk with them and the journey with them," she said of callers to 211.

Having used 211 in the past to find support for a family member, O'Hanley said the navigator's gift is to provide support.

"I think it's really important to feel supported in your community and to know that there are people there that have your best interest at heart and are there to help," she said.

'Appreciate being part of that'

The Salvation Army is one of the many services to which Islanders calling 211 can be referred.

Lt. John Burton, the corps officer with the Salvation Army's Charlottetown Community Church, says the number of people accessing its breakfast club and food bank has risen about 30 per cent since last year.

The Salvation Army doesn't track who gets referred to the organization by 211, but Burton said he knows the system is working.

"We often get calls from 211 to say, 'Hey, can you update your information with us?' And so they're on the ball," he said. "They're keen to be able to serve this community. And we appreciate being part of that."

In addition, Burton said it's essential to have the ability to connect people with multiple services through one hub.

If people can't find the services, then they don't get those services.— Lt. John Burton

"If people can't find the services, then they don't get those services," he said.

"If someone needs food or a hot meal or housing, or help with their rent or whatever, they can direct them."

O'Hanley said 211 tries to connect all Island callers to the services they need. However, if people are asking for help that's not available, she said the organization will track the data, present it to government, and see what can be done to provide the needed support.