The History of 211 in Alabama

In 1997, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta launched what is widely recognized as the first 2-1-1 service in the nation. Serving a 13-county metropolitan area, the new three-digit number demonstrated a simple but powerful idea: people should have an easy way to find help when they need it.

Just two years later, that idea came to Alabama. In 1999, the Volunteer and Information Center, now HandsOn River Region, brought 2-1-1 to the greater Montgomery area. Alabama became the fourth state in the nation to use the 2-1-1 dial code.

The United Way system in Alabama quickly recognized the potential of 2-1-1. At the time, United Ways of Alabama was a professional organization representing the state’s local United Ways. Local United Ways understood that 2-1-1 could become much more than a local information and referral line. With the right investment and coordination, it could become a statewide resource—one number that any Alabamian could call to find help.

In the early 2000s, the Montgomery Area United Way, now River Region United Way, and United Way of Central Alabama were among the strongest supporters of expanding 2-1-1 across the state. They helped champion the concept and strengthen United Ways of Alabama as an organization capable of taking on a statewide initiative.  The Association was incorporated in February 2004.

Building a statewide 2-1-1 system did not happen overnight. United Ways of Alabama pieced together grants and other resources to expand the network and worked with BellSouth, then Alabama’s largest landline telephone provider and now AT&T, to program the three-digit code into its system. As 2-1-1 gained momentum nationally, additional telephone and cellular providers gradually added the code to their networks.

At the same time, Alabama’s state government began to recognize the value of 2-1-1 as an important public resource. The Alabama Emergency Management Agency incorporated 2-1-1 into its emergency operations planning as the number to call for non-emergency needs before, during, and after disasters. This helped establish 2-1-1 as a critical connection point not only for everyday needs, but also when Alabama communities faced emergencies.

The vision that began with a local service in Montgomery was becoming a statewide network.

In 2016, Alabama achieved 100 percent statewide coverage for the 2-1-1 dial code, becoming only the third state in the nation to establish complete coverage across all of its counties. What had begun as a local information and referral service had become a resource available to Alabamians across the entire state.

Since then, Alabama’s 2-1-1 system has continued to grow and evolve. The network has responded to everyday challenges and some of the state’s most significant natural disasters and emergencies, connecting individuals and families with information and referrals for food, housing, utilities, healthcare, transportation, employment, childcare, and other essential services.

Today, 2-1-1 Connects Alabama is more than a three-digit telephone number. It is a 24/7 statewide network that brings together local expertise, community resources, technology, and partnerships to help Alabamians find the assistance they need. Alabamians can call, text, chat, or email to connect with a 2-1-1 specialist who can help them find the right resources. The 2-1-1 database is also available for individuals to search for resources on their own at www.211connectsalabama.org.

What began with a simple three-digit number has become an essential part of Alabama’s human-services infrastructure—connecting people to help when they need it most.