A partnership between United Way of Greater Chattanooga, various corporate partners and Hamilton County Schools will make the local 2-1-1 service more widely available to those in need. The free and confidential information and referral line, which connects people across the Tennessee Valley with local resources, will soon be accessible via several community-based kiosks. 

The first pilot kiosk was revealed Thursday evening at Red Bank High School during their community event, ROAR night. 

“One of the most difficult things as an educator is to know where to direct students and parents to find resources that can help them in times of need. Now, we’ll be able to not only give them a phone number but walk them down the hall to find the resources and community services they need to support their family in real time,” stated Elaine Harper, principal at Red Bank High School. 

The 2-1-1 kiosks will provide targeted information to families and students on how to access community resources including food, health care and insurance assistance, stable housing options, utility payment assistance, employment services, veteran services, childcare and youth services and other family-specific services and community resources. 

BlueCare Tennessee, a subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, is a primary partner in helping United Way provide the expanded service. 

“We’re proud to support United Way and its initiative to provide greater access to community resources for families across the region,” said Amber Cambron, CEO of BlueCare Tennessee. “Partnering together further demonstrates our shared commitment to invest in the health and well-being of the communities we serve.” 

The 2-1-1 kiosks are intended to help close the resource access gap for students and families in the greater Chattanooga area. In addition to BlueCare Tennessee, EPB and Hamilton Plastics have provided support for the effort. 

“Helping our students connect with the resources they need to succeed contributes to the vitality and economic growth of our community as a whole. Kiosks provide real-time access to help families and students overcome their challenges, so students can focus their attention on excelling in the classroom,” said Elizabeth Hammitt, director of Environmental Stewardship & Community at EPB.

Over the next few months, this kiosk pilot project will be expanded into several other local schools and a community health site. In addition to the community kiosk project, more 2-1-1 access options are being expanded to the current 2-1-1 phone service delivery system, which will provide better access to community resources to all citizens.