Everyone deserves support to cover the basics through hard times, and our state is abundant in community care and resources. That’s why our 211 resource helpline acts as a bridge, providing confidential information and referrals to services statewide to ensure people have their basic needs met. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round, 211 refers people — at no cost — to critical services like rental assistance, food programs, child care, employment resources and more.
Learn more about 211 from Community Resource Specialist, Sindy Castillo-Olivares:
Minnesotans work hard to provide for our families, but budgets are tight and sometimes it’s hard to make ends meet. Much too often, the people who keep our communities running — like child care providers, cashiers, heath care providers, sanitation workers and teachers — earn wages that don’t keep up with the cost of living. An estimated 35% of Minnesotans are below the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold. Living paycheck-to-paycheck, they can’t prepare for inevitable emergencies.
When resources seem limited and expertise is needed, caring and compassionate 211 Community Resource Specialists are a phone call or text away. Sindy Castillo-Olivares is one of them: “When callers reach out, there’s a person that cares, that is listening to them, that’s not ignoring their problem. We're here for you."
211 is a vital resource for our partners, nonprofits, social workers and people living in our state. Beyond supporting individuals, we use data gathered through 211 to inform our own investments and share insights across the philanthropic, nonprofit and public sectors.
Ashraf Ashkar, a Greater Twin Cities United Way 211 program officer, uses data gathered by the resource helpline to inform his work. When counties are ready to prioritize homelessness prevention, Ashkar is ready to partner with them. He is engaged in strategic planning with both Hennepin and Ramsey countries to help them identify their top system gaps and opportunities. In 2024, Ashkar provided data from United Way’s 211, Pathways Home and United for ALICE initiatives revealing county-level trends in housing needs such as emergency shelter. Further, Ashkar conducted a survey of Hennepin housing providers. It revealed a strong desire for coordinated access and highlighted county-level trends in housing needs such as emergency shelter.
Ashkar says: “I learned that providers use 18 different ways to find information and access resources. If providers feel that burden, we know it’s even more daunting for community members.” Insights like these not only reveal the complex resource network our 211 resource specialists navigate every day; they also help our partners and us make data-informed decisions that better support the people living in our state.
When callers reach out, it’s important that they know how to access resources in their own language. This year, 211 has been responding to surges in legal and housing requests and Spanish-language calls. Numerous callers have told our resource specialists that they are unable to work for fear of ICE, or that the primary earners in their families have been detained or deported. Marcos Michelli, 211 operations manager, and his team have responded to 15x the amount of Spanish-language calls the resource helpline typically receives. During their busiest 24-hour period, Spanish-language calls averaged nearly one per minute.
Castillo-Olivares is one of several multilingual community resource specialists. 211 resource specialists engage with callers in Spanish, Hmong, Somali and English; a 24/7 interpreter service is available for callers in other languages. “The benefit of supporting someone in their own language is sending them to the right place; making sure they understand what to do and what steps to take, so they are not confused because of the language barrier,” Castillo-Olivares shares. Meanwhile, the team is working to have key rental-assistance information translated online for easier access. Language‑specific support helps reduce confusion and empowers callers to take the right next steps.
A Spanish-speaking Scott County resident called 211 after receiving an eviction notice. One of our Spanish-fluent 211 Community Resource Specialists — like Castillo-Olivares — listened, acknowledged that an eviction notice is a scary situation, and encouraged the caller to make Scott County Emergency Assistance her next call. The program helps with rent and utilities, and other programs designed to supplement county assistance. The specialist informed the caller that the county opened at 8 a.m. and in the meantime provided educational resources on eviction, legal aid and additional utility assistance. The caller was taking notes, and the specialist offered to follow up through text or email to provide additional resources. The caller expressed gratitude and said she felt more hopeful with so many options she’d been unaware of.
Anyone in Minnesota can reach out to our 211 resource helpline, regardless of where they live, their immigration status or the language they speak. Call 211, text your zip code to 898-211 or visit 211unitedway.org to connect with a caring and compassionate resource specialist for support with housing, utilities assistance, food, legal aid and more. 211 is:
