CASSOPOLIS — 9-1-1 is one of the most well-known phone numbers in the United States. Most children learn it when they learn how to use a phone, and some accidentally call before they can do that.

There’s a different three-digit phone number that many residents, particularly in Cass and Berrien counties that often goes underutilized: 2-1-1.

To help spread the word about this program in southwest Michigan, representatives of United Way, which supports 2-1-1, gave a presentation at the Cass County Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday morning.

“211 is an information and referral line that provides access and information about health and human service opportunities in the community,” said Rachel Wade during the presentation. She is the vice president of impact and development at United Way of southwest Michigan.

She said that 2-1-1 has been a resource to southwest Michigan community members since 2010.

“It’s kind of the best kept secret, which it shouldn’t be,” Wade said.

According to uwsm.org, 2-1-1 can assist residents of Cass and Berrien counties by connecting them with helpful resources:

• Supplemental food and nutrition programs

• Shelter and housing options and utility assistance

• Emergency information and disaster relief

• Employment and education opportunities

• Services for veterans

• Healthcare, vaccination and health epidemic information

• Addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs

• Support groups for people with mental illnesses or special needs

• Safe and confidential path out of physical and emotional domestic abuse

During the flooding that took place in the winter of this year, many Cass County residents were encouraged to call 2-1-1 if their homes were impacted.

“You literally pick up your phone, you dial 2-1-1 and you’re connected to our call center,” Wade said. “It’s free, it’s confidential, it is 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

The majority of the United States and the entirety of Michigan is covered by 2-1-1. In Michigan, 2-1-1 is governed by the Michigan Association of United Ways, and anyone who calls the number in the state has access to resource and service information from throughout the area. Wade said that southwest Michigan residents can also access some resource information in northern Indiana as they are located so close the border.

There is also an 800 number that patches into 2-1-1. This can be important for southwest Michigan residents who spend a lot of time in or near Indiana.

“People who got their cell phones in South Bend and have a 574 area code number or if they are picking up service from a tower in Indiana, sometimes their call will get routed to an Indiana 2-1-1 center,” Wade said. “They can patch you into the Michigan call center, but that 800 number is available to people as well.”

The United Way is working to add texting capabilities to the 2-1-1 program in the future, she said.

One issue she said residents of Cass County have with 2-1-1 is that they assume the service will connect them with resources that are only available in the Kalamazoo area. This is because the call center for 2-1-1 in Cass and Berrien counties is offered through Gryphon Place in Kalamazoo.

“The call center is located in Kalamazoo, but the people there have access to the database for resources in Cass County,” she said. “When people in Cass County call, they are sending them to the resources that exist in Cass County.”

The only reason a resource or service in Cass or Berrien counties would not be in the database is because the organization did not submit its information to 2-1-1, she said.

“We need the communities help to make sure that those services are in the database,” she said.

Organizations that wish to add or update their information in the database for 2-1-1, should visit mi211.org/service-providers/including-or-updating-resources.