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Beebe makes call to kick off new 211 system Thursday, May 8, 2008 By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Beebe made a call to Arkansas' new 211 system during a news conference Wednesday marking the official launch of the program, which seeks to connect Arkansans with community services and volunteer opportunities. "We have here 7,204 cameras and about that many notepads and pencils," Beebe joked with an operator at a call center in Pine Bluff. "And one scared boss," added Nathan Cook, executive director of Arkansas 211. Arkansas is the 42nd state to implement the program and the 17th to offer it statewide. It is the first state to provide more than 95 percent coverage. Callers can obtain free information about services such as food banks, shelters, rent and utility assistance, physical and mental health resources, job training, programs for the disabled, after-school programs and tutoring. Callers also can learn about opportunities to volunteer or make donations. "It's both a clearing house and an information center for people who need information or need services, but it's also a clearing house for people who want to provide services or provide help," Beebe said. He said the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management appreciates the many calls it has been receiving from people wanting to provide help to victims of recent storms, but "they are really, really busy in storm damage assessments, storm damage recovery, dispensing and dispatching personnel." The 211 system will relieve some of the burden on ADEM and other agencies, he said. The system has two call centers, one in Pine Bluff and one in Springdale. Cook and the administrative staff are headquartered in Pine Bluff. Operators are on duty at the call centers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Cook said he hopes the program can be expanded to 24-hour service. Funding is provided through contributions to the United Way of Arkansas, foundation grants and other private donations. The Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Foundation provided seed money in the form of a $600,000 matching grant. The operating costs of the system are expected to be a little more than $1 million for the first two years, Cook said. The program is managed by a board made up of eight CEOs of United Way and 13 volunteers from the group that designed the 211 system. "I am proud to have been part of the launch of this critical system in Arkansas," said Cook, who developed one of the first 211 systems in North Carolina before being recruited to run Arkansas' program. In the event of a large-scale disaster, Arkansas' 211 system can be expanded to incorporate South Carolina's system, said John Nazzaro, chairman of the United Way Association. "On behalf of the United Ways of Arkansas, we are proud to be in the forefront of this," Nazzaro said. The program also provides information online. ------- On the Net: www.arkansas211.org. |
