SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A guide to community resources across the tri-county area is just a phone call away.
On Feb. 11 (2/11), Heart of Florida United Way wants people to remember its 211 hotline if they are in need of assistance.
When someone calls 211 they are connected with a specialist from United Way to help them navigate resources specifically for their needs at the local, state and national level.
“211 is an information and referral line for social services,” said Catherine Pineda, 211 and Crisis Services Training Manager. “We help community members get a better understanding of what are some of the services that are available in their community.”
Heart of Florida United Way serves Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties.
In 2024, the organization reported that the top assistance requests were for housing, shelter, and utilities, with over 50,000 housing and shelter assistance requests and over 20,000 utilities assistance requests across the three counties.
Pineda said people who call in for help are making tough decisions between paying bills and putting food on the table.
“Those are situations families face every day,” Pineda said. “When you don’t know whether to pay the rent or put food on the table and sometimes when you have an unexpected situation, just that one thing can put you behind where you’re now facing possible eviction or having your lights disconnected, until that next paycheck which you might not even know when it’s coming.”
Carrie Longsworth, community assistance division manager for Seminole County, said that she is not surprised by these numbers.
“That is the bulk of the calls that we get into our office are requesting assistance for rent, especially with the cost of housing,” Longsworth said.
Seminole County’s rent/mortgage/utility assistance program reopened applications in January, and the demand is high.
“In the last three or so weeks, we’ve had about 150 applications, so just in that time, the demand is up, and we are getting applications every day on a regular basis for those services,” Longsworth said.
United Way Heart of Florida’s 211 call center is available 24/7. If you are in need of assistance, dial 2-1-1. You can also go to the group’s website to find help.
If you live in Seminole County and would like to learn more about the county’s rent/mortgage/utility assistance program, CLICK HERE.
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