211: Get help. get connected.
A free, confidential resource for rhode islanders
why call?
211 can connect you with housing, food, affordable childcare, and much more.
- 211 is a free, confidential service.
- Your call is answered by a trained professional.
- One call connects you with the appropriate resources you need in your community.
- It is efficient, fast and easy to use.
- No more wrong numbers or wasted time trying to find the right resource.
- It is always there for you—24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
- Translation services available in many languages.
Police, fire or medical emergency? Call 911.
SEARCH IN Not sure whether to call? These are just some of the ways we can help...
- Afterschool programs
- Childcare
- Pantries
- Soup kitchens
- Delivery if you’re homebound
- Alcohol and drug addiction treatment (See opioid addiction recovery information)
- COVID-19 testing
- Depression counseling
- Gambling addiction treatment (Wonder if your gambling is an addiction? Try our screening tools)
- Health insurance
- Avoiding eviction
- Place to stay tonight
- Rent/mortgage assistance
- Electric, gas, heat payments (Learn more about the Good Neighbor Energy Fund)
- Program information
- Free or sliding scale legal assistance
- General legal services
- Free tax preparation (Learn more about Volunteer Income Tax Assistance)
- Ride options
- Transit information
- Comprehensive veteran assistance
- Medical assistance
- Cyber bullying
- Domestic violence
- Identity theft (Learn more about cybercrime)
All this and much more for adults over 55 or with disabilities via Point. Point is the state's healthy aging helpdesk. Learn more about Point.
United Way 211 in Rhode Island is supported by Citizens.
United Way of Rhode Island and CVS Health Foundation are working together to help those impacted by the opioid crisis. Our goal is to connect Rhode Islanders with treatment resources, increase addiction awareness, and find options that work.
The Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS) is a 3-item survey designed to help people evaluate their need for a formal gambling behavior evaluation. The BBGS is based on the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling.
Program aims to reverse learning loss
WPRI
For 30 hours a week for six weeks, the Summer Learning Initiative gives students the opportunity to learn in fun and out-of-the-box ways... "There’s ways to be able to explore and be creative without feeling like they are falling farther and farther behind, which I think a lot of youth are feeling right now because of the pandemic," [Marlene] Guay said.
Summer energy bill assistance is available
The Westerly Sun
The Rhode Island Good Neighbor Energy Fund is open to all eligible Rhode Island households experiencing financial difficulty and [needing] assistance with energy expenses, even in the summer. The fund is sponsored by Rhode Island Energy, Block Island Utility District, Ocean State Power, Pascoag Utility District, Petro Home Services and RISEC LP and administered by United Way of Rhode Island.
10 Ways Nonprofits Can Influence Giving
Forbes Nonprofit Council
As nonprofits seek out donations, leveraging... win-win opportunities can be an effective way to further the social goals of the nonprofit and potential donors. Below, a panel of experts from Forbes Nonprofit Council, including Cortney Nicolato, United Way of Rhode Island's president and CEO, each share one... strategy nonprofit leaders can leverage to influence major corporations to support community-serving efforts.
United Way Launches Nonprofit Leadership Development Series
United Way of Rhode Island is launching a new leadership development series for staff of local nonprofits with annual budgets of $5 million and under and is currently accepting applications from interested participants. The no-cost program is the Deputy Director Learning Circle, and it was developed specifically to strengthen the competencies of nonprofit staff who aspire to become executive directors.
United Way Issues VITA Program RFP
In support of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that returns millions of dollars to the pockets of eligible Rhode Islanders, United Way of Rhode Island is making a total of $500,000 in funding available over a two-year grant cycle.
Olneyville Programs Awarded $182,708
Through its Olneyville Community Fund, United Way of Rhode Island has awarded $182,708 in grants to programs whose work is strengthening the Providence neighborhood it calls home… Investments focus on creating opportunities for all by improving access to services for residents, enhancing educational offerings for children through adults, and increasing nonprofit capacity to meet community need. Eleven organizations received funding.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Barbershop Books Prep4Success!
Join United Way of Rhode Island for Barbershop Books Prep4Success! on Friday, August 12 from noon - 3 p.m. at Haircuts & Heritage in Pawtucket. Barbershop Books inspires Black boys and other vulnerable children to read for fun by providing free books at local barbershops. Stop by for free haircut vouchers and backpacks with back-to-school essentials, and enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers, and soft drinks.