The 211 NB helpline has supported over 100,000 people since its launch in 2020, and that number continues to grow.
People have connected through various channels, including phone calls, emails, website chats, and a mobile app launched last spring.
The service saw 57.5 per cent of its calls in 2024 were related to basic needs such as housing, food, and income support, according to its latest release.
Of those calls, 85 per cent specifically addressed housing and shelter issues.
Daniela Fernandez, director of community engagement, said 211 has noticed calls coming through all across the province.
“The service has been embraced by folks in rural and smaller communities where maybe access to information and services is a little bit more limited,” Fernandez said.
She highlighted that the service has started to collaborate with the Department of Health, Women’s Equality, and the Department of Social Development.
“We’re partnering with existing services to direct calls to the right support for those facing sexual, intimate, or gender-based violence,” Fernandez said.
The release notes that the service’s goal is to ensure easy, fast, and streamlined access to support for anyone in need.
‘We’re not duplicating services or reinventing the wheel, but by partnering with the existing transition houses and sexual violence response lines,” Fernandez said.
“We’re kind of like air traffic control for accessing social services.”
She emphasized how the 211 service needs have tended to grow in the province over the last four years, especially during the economic uncertainty.
“Times are tough with the cost of living, housing, and food. We’re here to connect people to the available supports,” she said.
Fernandez said the service plans to continue to play a role in addressing the needs of its community, ensuring that help is just a phone call away.
