There’s a quote that inspires Tamar Snir every Wednesday as she answers phones—“It takes all of us to make each of us successful.”

Tamar doesn’t just answer phones, though. She’s an information and referral specialist at United Way 2-1-1™, a multilingual, 24-hour community resource and referral line.

Last year, after using the service, Tamar realized how useful it was and asked the specialist she was talking to if they needed volunteers. And after some 20 hours of training, she was ready to take calls.

Since so many of the people she talks to are in stressful situations, Tamar tries to use uplifting language to help calm them. “I let them know that by calling, they’re doing the right thing, taking the right steps, right actions,” she says.

She describes a situation with a women looking for employment resources, and instead of just giving her a number, Tamar asked what she did—interpretation—and gave her specific resources that could help her. “She was so grateful,” she says. “It was nice to make a difference.”

Tamar is a professional organizer and her resourcefulness helps her help others, especially those that call who are worried about basic needs. “I believe it’s a basic right to learn to get what you need and allow people to assist you in getting it,” she says. Nearly half of United Way 2-1-1 calls are for basic needs, including food, shelter and clothing.

For the time and passion Tamar puts into her work at United Way 2-1-1, the reason is fairly simple. “At the end, when I look back, I want to be known for making a difference.”

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