You call 911 for an emergency and 311 to report problems, like water main breaks in your town.
But 211 is a resource center, directing people in need to people who can help fast.
In this economy, many more people need help and calls to 211 are skyrocketing and becoming much more serious which is why the group is bringing in back up.
“The myriad of problems we're seeing are hitting our middle class and our upper class. It's not just the poor,” said Martha Blaine.
One 211 center alone can do more than 350,000 calls a year, a number that has more than doubled in the past five years.
Paying the electric bill and rent are among the top concerns. Urgent calls of people needing food are up 21 percent from 2007.
“We're seeing calls where people are in such distress, they are considering taking their life,” said Blaine.
That's where Contact Crisis comes in.
Employees are trained to handle the toughest crisis situations.
They are teaming up with 211 to train its employees and provide assistance when the average call turns serious.
“You think all they need is a phone number and suddenly they are telling you they want to take their life, they are depressed, they want to harm someone else,” said Benaye Rogers.
Now the groups share 6,000 resource databases and a common goal to resolve each call with help on the way.
Most calls come from people 30 to 50 years old.
At the moment, 211 employees are also directing several calls helping people find loved ones in Haiti.
