People in the Ames area can now dial 211, free of charge, to reach an information hotline run through ISU Extension.

The system offers information and answers for a variety of questions, said Margaret VanGinkel, hotline coordinator for ISU Extension.

“If I was looking for a food pantry I could call 211,” she said. “It covers everything from food stamps … to where I can find housing.”

Popular calls in the Ames area have been concerning questions about who qualifies for energy assistance and where to apply for it, VanGinkel said.

The 211 service offered by ISU Extension is part of a nationwide information referral program now operating in 27 states and available 24 hours a day, said Karen Hyatt, Iowa Alliance of Information Referral Systems chairwoman.

Currently, people seeking aid from the 211 system may call from both land-line phones and cellular phones. Hyatt said Iowa was the only state to have the option of placing 211 calls from a cellular phone.

Although nine counties in northwestern Iowa have yet to be officially claimed as part of the 211 system, the entire state of Iowa can connect callers to the service, Hyatt said. She said plans were being made to officially add the last nine counties to the system this spring, which would make Iowa the third state to have statewide 211 service.

VanGinkel said the ISU Extension’s branch of the 211 service, which includes Story County, currently handles about 20 calls per week.

She said the low volume of calls was due to lack of public knowledge of the system.

ISU Extension also offers other hotlines, such as Bets Off and Teen Hotline.

VanGinkel said these hotlines made the integration of the 211 service easier by providing databases which overlap with the information needed to answer 211 calls.

Calls made from Ames to the 211 service are answered by the ISU Extension’s staff during the day and by Red Cross 211 service staff in Des Moines during the night and weekend, VanGinkel said.

Hyatt said getting the 211 service in Iowa in service has been a success.

“We’ve been working on the implementation of the service for four years,” she said.

Hyatt said the 211 service has become an acceptable way for people to get help and ask questions about local services.

“What feels good is seeing the call volume go up,” she said. “[The 211 service] reduces the stigma of asking for help. People feel comfortable calling 211 for traffic information.”