When Connecticut residents need help, they turn to the United Way of Connecticut. The non-profit organization is a critical link in connecting state residents to essential services such as utility assistance, food, housing, child care, elder care and much more. It operates multiple 2-1-1 services, which are information referral lines that connect callers to essential health and human services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In times of disaster, 2-1-1 is one of the first lines of community support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it experienced massive increases in call volume. Agents addressed callers’ concerns, from “What is COVID and what do I need to do?” to “I can’t pay my rent this month” and “I’m worried about feeding my family.”
