WILKES-BARRE – Almost a year into the pandemic, many Valley residents continue taking advantage of resources being made available by dialing 2-1-1. 2-1-1 is the human service and non-profit hotline available to Pennsylvanian’s to find available help, run by the state United Way.
In its December 2020 report on 2-1-1- usages for Northumberland, Union, Snyder and Montour counties, Rent payment assistance and food pantry requests continue to be among the highest needs, but there were more people seek help keeping their electricity turned on.
Some requests for community shelters and other housing assistance have also come up in recent contacts made to 2-1-1. Overall, there were 164 contacts made to 2-1-1 from the four Valley counties in December.
- Of 98 contacts made from Northumberland County, 68 were for food pantry requests, 41 for rent assistance, 19 for electric utility assistance, and 11 for housing needs
- Of 27 Union County contacts, 18 were for food pantry requests, 16 were for rent, and 10 for electric utility assistance.
- Of 25 Snyder County contacts, 15 were for rent, 11 for food pantry requests.
- Of 14 Montour County contacts, five were for community shelters, three for rent
The Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania sends out these monthly 2-1-1 reports, which covers the entire Valley.
