GREENFIELD — Connect2Help, a Central Indiana nonprofit that connects residents with community resources, has ended its relationship with the national 211 hotline, but Hancock County callers will still be able to reach both that service and a suicide crisis line.
The number is 317-926-HELP (4357).
The organization’s CEO, Ann Hartman, said clients who call in should not notice any differences in the services they receive, but Connect2Help will be changing its focus behind the scenes.
“Connect2Help’s heart and mission has always been to connect people in the community with the organizations and services they need,” Hartman said. “We believe our new direction will draw upon our expertise in a way that serves community members best.”
Connect2Help has operated in six Indiana counties, including Hancock County, since splitting off from the United Way and becoming an independent organization in 1987. The organization is no longer affiliated with 211 — a national number which provides referrals to social services and community resources — but maintains its connection with the National Suicide Lifeline.
Hartman said the organization is hoping to focus more on “place-based” referrals by holding events at public places, such as the Hancock County Public Library, to raise awareness of available resources.
Connect2Help plans to focus on growing deeper partnerships with other nonprofits in the counties it serves. The organization has begun an energy assistance program for Marion County residents, partnering with Meals on Wheels to provide follow-up services to some of its clients, and expanding crisis services throughout the state.
“What sets our agency apart is our deep relationships with local service providers and our deep understanding of nonprofit organizations,” Hartman said. “We are able to be true partners to both the individuals who seek our services and various local service providers. Our goal is to build relationships between individuals and nonprofit organizations to better serve individuals in need.”
According to data collected by Connect2Help, the agency received 691 calls from Hancock County residents seeking assistance from September 2018 to August 2019. Ninety-two percent of needs were recorded as “met,” meaning callers reported following up on the referral they received and getting help with their situation.
A majority of calls — 383 — came from the Greenfield area. Sixty-two percent of callers were women, and 67 percent had annual incomes below $15,000.
The highest categories of needs in Hancock County were for housing assistance and utility assistance.
Another planned improvement in Connect2Help’s future is making public its database of community resources. The database is used by volunteers to help connect those in need with other organizations that can help meet their needs. Hartman said it will be publicly available on Connect2Help’s website in early 2020.
When people call seeking help with an immediate problem like food assistance, Hartman said, Connect2Help does not stop at helping them meet that day-to-day need. Instead, they will conduct a “conversational assessment” to determine their larger needs. That can lead to referring them to resources like counseling or employment assistance.
“When people call about food, for example, it’s often because someone recently lost a job,” Hartman said.
As Connect2Help refocuses its services, it is seeking new volunteers to help man its 24/7 hotline. Volunteers must go through a 40-hour training process to assist with the crisis line; training is split between in-person sessions on weekends and at-home work that prospective volunteers can do on their own time.
Volunteers are also needed to help maintain and update the resource database.
Hartman said one of the most important assets Connect2Help has is a group of volunteers who intimately know the community and can provide personal, informed assistance.
“That really helps make the service,” Hartman said.
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Prospective volunteers for either the crisis line or the resource database can download an application at connect2help.org and email the completed form to [email protected].
For questions about volunteering with the crisis line, please call (317) 735-7588. For questions about volunteering to help maintain the resource database, call (317) 735-7585.
No experience is necessary for either position, and training will be provided.
Monetary donations can be made via PayPal at connect2help.org.
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People facing adversity with everything from utility bills to illness may call the Connect2Help hotline at 317-926-HELP (4357). Connect2Help is no longer affiliated with the national 211 hotline.
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