2-1-1 is a free confidential community service and your one-stop connection to the local services you need, from utility assistance, food, housing, health, childcare, after school programs, elder care, crisis intervention and much more. 2-1-1 is always ready to assist you in finding the help you need. Dial the three digit number 2-1-1 on your phone or Find Help here. If you are outside of Washington or have a problem dialing the number 2-1-1, please dial 1-877-211-9274.

Tim Sullivan is the Statewide Director for Washington 211. Tim has over 25 years of management experience in health and human services for both non-profits and government. As Director, Tim is responsible for overseeing a network of seven regional 2-1-1 call centers that comprise Washington’s 2-1-1 system. Duties include program management, development, legislative advocacy, marketing and communications, strategic planning, board governance, operational oversight and evaluation.

“211 is a critical resource for communities across the country for managing emergencies like floods, wildfires, hurricanes and pandemics. 211 participates in community emergency planning and serves both during initial response and long-term recovery. WA 211 has a rich history of providing professional I&R service to meet the needs of our local communities during a crisis,” shared Tim and then continued, “This includes WA211’s response and assistance to the Department of Health during the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009 and support of local emergency management during the OSO Mudslides in 2014. A common theme during these incidents and others is the over whelming support of communities to volunteer and donate.”

Tim was able to elaborate more on how the organization is responding to COVID-19, “For the COVID-19 response, WA211 has been coordinating thousands of calls from community members in Washington State and across the Nation wanting to support state efforts and have referred many callers to the State’s COVID-19 How You Can Help webpage or locally through our seven regional call centers. On a statewide level, when 2-1-1 started taking calls for DOH, we had offers of help from the State AARP and National Service Offices to assist with taking calls. The majority of call takers at our Peninsulas Regional 211 Call Center are AmeriCorps members from Evergreen College.”

When asked to share his thoughts on the importance of “people helping people” and how WA 211 provides people the opportunity to make things happen in their communities, Tim’s response was, “In my experience most people care about their neighbors and community and want to help especially during these difficult times, but may not know where to turn to volunteer. By calling the number 2-1-1, people can find out about volunteer centers and programs in their local area. If there is a specific service or cause that you want to support with your time or resources, Washington 211 can provide a list of organizations for you to contact. You can also complete an online format https://wa211.org/give-help/ to provide information on your interest in volunteering or donating to support your local community.”

For more information on WA 2-1-1, check out their website at wa211.org