United Way launches 211 Hub for resources

JACKSON, Tenn. — United Way of West Tennessee has created a website tool for the community to find help.

“The 211 Hub is now an extension of our 211 Hotline,” said United Way president Matthew Marshall. “It’s an online resource that people can now use as a database, and it has a listing of the non-profit agencies here in West Tennessee.”

The 211 Hotline has been used to connect people to services over the phone, but this is the first time United Way has made an online version of the same service.

“They can go to wtn211.org, and they can find a list of resources there. There’s also a map that lists all the non-profit agencies there as well, so they can search by service, they can search by agency, or they can search the map and just find the closest location to them,” Marshall said.

The 211 Hub is a one-stop shop for many services.

“Health or education or shelter or food, various different things,” Marshall said. “Whatever a person might need.”

He says the non-profit has never had a way to properly display an updated database of different non-profits and serves available in West Tennessee until now.

“We kind of recognized over the last several years that more and more people are using their smartphones to find information, Googling and searching that way, and while we still get plenty of 211 phone calls everyday, we also wanted to have a quick and easy way for people to connect with resources,” Marshall said.

Marshall says he hopes many agencies will add their information to the website. He is also inviting churches to upload their information as well.

The website is live now for use and about 50 agencies are already listed.