Need help? Kane County 211 service will offer direction

Kane County residents will soon be able to call 211 to learn where they can get help for a variety of problems.

Kane County and the Batavia United Way have teamed up to offer the service. United Way Executive Director Melinda Kintz said the goal is to have the service running by November.

They have hired PATH, a call center in Bloomington. Operators there will direct callers to Kane County agencies that can help with problems, such as obtaining food and shelter, education, health care, disaster assistance, escape from domestic abuse, mental health care, employment, services for veterans and more.

Kintz said there are more than 1,000 agencies, nonprofits and faith-based organizations that offer help to Kane County residents. Many are listed in an online guide at kanecountyguide.org. PATH will add that information to its database.

Calls are confidential. Translation for more than 150 languages is available.

PATH provides 211 service to 40 other counties in Illinois.

The service will be available every day, at all times.

Besides $30,000 from Kane County, the contract is supported by local school districts, the United Way and a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley.

According to 211.org, as of 2017, 211 service is available to 94 percent of the U.S. population.

The service began in 1997 in Georgia.