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2-1-1 NEEDS YOUR HELP!
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Only two weeks left to keep 2-1-1 funding in the State budget!
Please use CAPWIZ to automatically
send an e-letter to a legislator in your area.
It's easy! Just go to http://capwiz.com/uwnys/issues/alert/?alertid=10977541&type=ST&show_alert=1
Or cut and paste the letter below to your own Word document and send it by mail to a legislator of your choice.
Please
reach out to your legislators to reinstate 2-1-1 funding. |
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Sample Localized Letter
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Date
Re: Request for 2-1-1 Funding in 2008-09 Budget
Dear
I am writing to request your support for:
- 3rd year funding for 2-1-1 services, including $9.4 million in planning, development and operating support and $1.7 million in capital funds in the OCFS budget.
- $3.7 in capital funds which were not included in the 2007-08 state budget, which, as you know, lacked an approved capital budget.
As a legislator who has been fully supportive of 2-1-1 since its early planning stages in our area, you well know that 2-1-1 is:
- A 3-digit, easily remembered telephone number to help people get quick and easy access to human services.
- An essential tool for communities in crisis - like winter storms, major flooding and other disasters. 2-1-1 played a major role in helping those impacted by the flooding in the Sound Shore area to find the services they needed.
- A service that connects people to services 24 hours a day, year round including holidays.
- Free, confidential, and available in more than 150 languages.
- Reaching 75% of our country's population and 70% of New York State's residents.
In addition to the value of 2-1-1 for those individuals who call and obtain assistance, 2-1-1 in our region helps:
- Reduce non-emergency calls to 9-1-1.
- Disseminate public health and crisis preparedness information.
- Decrease misdirected calls to state, local and nonprofit agencies.
- Add value to city, county and state planning - 2-1-1 call centers routinely collect data, providing a real-time snap shot of what services callers need.
- Link individuals and families to income generating services such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other public benefits.
- Help individuals to identify long term care options under the NY Connects program.
For the past two years, with your major involvement, both houses of the Legislature, on a bipartisan basis, have added funding for 2-1-1 services to the state budget. In 2006-07 $6.9 million was provided and in 2007-08, $6.3 million was appropriated. Because last year's capital budget was not enacted, the $3.7 million in capital funds which had been requested was not approved. Now, despite approval of the funding for planning and development work, the lack of capital funds is holding back development in several other regions.
We are very concerned about the impact of 2-1-1 funding not having been included in the Executive budget. In 2007 alone, almost 30,000 callers in the Hudson Valley region and 360,000 callers across the State were assisted by this service. Given the economic outlook for 2008, the need for assistance will grow and is expected to result in even greater call volume this year. A flood, snowstorm or other disaster will also spike call volume as it has in the past.
State funding has been instrumental in bringing 2-1-1 to its current level of service. 2-1-1 is now available in the Hudson Valley and three other serving regions (Finger Lakes, New York City, and Western New York), serving 70% of the State's residents 24/7, year round. State funding will assure continuation of services in these regions while 2-1-1 development progresses in five additional regions (Capital Region, Leather Stocking Region, Long Island, North Country, and Susquehanna River Region) with services expected to commence in 2008-09.
In the Hudson Valley as well as the other regions, state funding for 2-1-1 is supplemented by funding from local governments, United Ways, foundations and numerous in-kind supporters. United Ways in the region are taking the lead in providing this service, with close to one-third of the total budget being underwriten by them.
While we know this is going to be a tight year financially, and that you are fielding numerous requests for support, we hope that you will again play a leadership role in securing legislative approval of funding to continue vital 2-1-1 services across the state. It would be especially helpful if you would send letters of support for 2-1-1 to the leaders in your house and the chairs of your fiscal committees.
Thank you for your past support and for considering this year. Please call me if we can provide you with additional information.
Sincerely,
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Ask your friends
to take action on behalf of 2-1-1 too
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As you know, our United Way Hudson Valley Region 2-1-1 has become an
essential resource to our community for those seeking help. In 2007
alone 2-1-1 helped 30,000 callers in our region find the help they needed. That's 30,000 problems solved, help given, and lives changed. 2-1-1 has also proved itself essential during times of community crisis, such as last year's spring flooding.
2-1-1
calls are free, confidential and multilingual. Caring and professional
call specialists helped direct callers to the people and organizations
that will help resolve their problems and inquiries. Please help put
2-1-1 funding back in the State budget. After all, having a vibrant
2-1-1 saves money in the end.
For more information,
contact us at www.uwwp.org
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