An inaugural pan Canadian 211 Day This year, for the first time, anyone living anywhere in Canada can pick up the phone and dial 2-1-1 to reach a Navigator for information on community, government and social services in or near their community. The service is free, confidential, […]
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Strengthening communities by connecting people with the help they need In British Columbia, bc211 was established in partnership with United Way to link people to community, social, and government resources and information. Through bc211, British Columbians access help, where and when they need it, including critical support […]
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Since June 2018, bc211 has provided expanded Seniors Transportation Information as part of its phone services. Developed in partnership with Seniors on the Move, this expanded service lets seniors in Metro Vancouver phone 2-1-1 any time of day to get information on transportation options such as transit, […]
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On September 18th, 211 phone and text service officially launched on Vancouver Island at the United Way Greater Victoria 2017 campaign kick-off event. bc211 offers a confidential telephone, texting and online referral service connecting individuals to hundreds of community, social and government services. 211 is a free […]
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There are hundreds of programs and services available across the province to help people with a wide variety of issues. These include services specifically designed to help seniors or those caring for them; programs for parents, children and youth; services for people dealing with addictions; and help […]
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Bullying is a form of aggression where there is a power imbalance; the person doing the bullying has power over the person being victimized. Power can come in many forms and can include attributes such as physical size, age, and social standing. Bullying is an intentional act […]
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February 11th is 211 Day. 211 service in BC launched in 2010, and as we move into our sixth year, 211 Day gives us an opportunity blow out a few candles and to reflect on where we came from, and where we are heading. But first… What is […]
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On February 2, 2015, bc211 launched its texting service, enabling residents of the Lower Mainland to access bc211 services simply by texting 2-1-1 from their mobile devices. Accessing free information and referral regarding community, government and social services in Metro Vancouver now no longer requires a phone […]
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Meeting the Humanitarian Need As the humanitarian crisis caused by the civil war in Syria continues, thousands of Canadians have mobilized to sponsor refugees and help the new arrivals to Canada. Provincial and municipal governments are actively preparing in anticipation, and settlement agencies are gearing up to […]
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perfect storm noun: a critical or disastrous situation created by a powerful concurrence of factors — merriam-webster.com Many of us in the bc211 region experienced the might of the windstorm that swept through the South Coast on August 29th. BC Hydro estimates that 710,000 —nearly half of […]
Read more →bc211 has produced nine video profiles of community-based organizations whose work is making an impact in the community. We launch the series with a look at bc211. In this video we present bc211 and an overview of the work we do. Executive Director Bob Prenovost, Information & […]
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bc211 presented a Community Snapshot to the City of Richmond in which we highlighted some of the findings around calls we received and referrals we made related to Richmond in 2014. Following is an overview of findings for Richmond calls we received from January 2014 to April […]
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Arts and Culture Resources in the Lower Mainland. Last year we posted about the thousands of individuals and services that bc211 has connected. While we receive thousands of referral requests for social service resources, our online directory – The Red Book Online – also contains listings for […]
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A Retrospective of Sunshine Coast Call Data In March 2014, bc211 expanded to the Sunshine Coast, broadening the territory reached by service. Now people from Earls Cove to Hope, and from Lillooet to White Rock can access information and referrals to resources in their community by simply […]
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“Please help. Recently I started to self-harm… I need to cope somehow… it has become unbearable to try and deal with people bothering me on my social media accounts. I just don’t get it; why are they doing this to me? At first it was just the […]
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Is bc211 still relevant? In these highly-connected times it’s tempting to assume that information needs are being met more than ever before. In 2012 Statistics Canada declared that 83% of Canadian households had internet access at home1. We have the internet and we have smartphones and tablets; […]
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