United Way 2-1-1 Referrals—January 2010

According to data collected by United Way 2-1-1™, requests for basic needs like food and shelter continue to account for nearly half of the total referrals.

2-1-1 Data (through December 2009)

United Way 2-1-1 made nearly 175,000 referrals for basic needs in 2009. Referrals peaked in July at 16,680. No month saw fewer than 10,000 referrals for basic needs such as food, clothing, housing and emergency shelter.

Source: United Way 2-1-1

Requests for emergency food and shelter have been high throughout 2009, together accounting for more than one-third of the referrals for basic needs.

Source: United Way 2-1-1

United Way Agency Survey

Our January 2009 survey of 85 local social service agencies revealed increasing needs and funding challenges as a result of the economy.

Some highlights:

• 63% of agencies indicated they have seen more clients in the last three to six months
• Half of the agencies surveyed reported more intense client needs
• 86% of agencies lost revenue from at least one source last year; 32% lost revenue from more than one source
• At 43%, government grants were the most common cause of lost revenue
• To balance 2008 budgets, agencies most frequently implemented hiring freezes and layoffs

See the full report.

Resources

• Read the most recent State of the Economy Report from our research department: January 22, 2010 (PDF)
• View archived updates and other publications in our Library of Reports.

For more information about community trends, please contact Elizabeth A. Peterson, Ph.D., director of research and planning, by e-mail or phone: 612-340-7429.