211 Connects Alabama

When you do not know which Alabama program to call, dial 2-1-1. 2-1-1 Connects Alabama is a free statewide information and referral service that links residents to health and human service programs. Reach it by dialing 2-1-1, or call or text 888-421-1266, or text your zip code to 898-211.

It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a trained operator, and there is no income test to use it. Whatever the hour, a real person can help you find the right resource.

The referrals span the needs that stack up together: food pantries, homeless shelters, utility and rent help, senior services, job training, free tax prep, veteran services, and government benefits. Give a short version of what is going on, and a specialist points you to programs near you.

There is more than one way to reach it. Besides calling or texting, you can use the website's guided search and chat features to find help yourself, any hour.

Know what 211 is and is not. It refers; it does not pay bills itself. The value is knowing which local agencies and funds near you have money or open intake right now, which changes month to month.

Pair 211 with the statewide front doors: mydhr.alabama.gov for SNAP, one.alabama.gov for Family Assistance, and Insure Alabama for Medicaid. For a suicidal or mental health crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any hour.