AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – On Tuesday, the United Way of Amarillo & Canyon celebrated the opening of the new chapter for the 2-1-1 Texas Panhandle/United Way Helpline with a ribbon-cutting for a newly renovated space.

The ribbon-cutting was held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the 415 SW Eighth Avenue location, with Amarillo city officials, the CEO of United Way, the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, and other staff and community members in attendance.

2-1-1 will now be in the same building as community partners making it easier to collaborate and work towards a common goal.

“They have several organizations under the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission built pat that we work with on a daily basis,” said Janell Menahem Director of 2-1-1 Texas Panhandle. “Regardless of whether it was us picking the phone up to call them to see how they can help a client we may be advocating for. With us all being in the same office, I can actually go next door and it can make it happen a little bit quicker.

“We are grateful for the support of our community,” said the organization’s announcement, “and we can’t wait to share this new and improved experience with you.”

Menahem shared that being in the same building as community partners will also help distribute accurate information.

“It also helps us as cost specialists to understand their programs and making sure that we’re not giving wrong information out to the public about how things work,” said Menahem. “We’re actually directing the correct people that can receive help from their organizations to them.

As described by the United Way, the 2-1-1 Helpline is aimed at helping callers access community services for assistance with multiple topics, including:

• Food;
• Prescription assistance;
• Help with rent or mortgage;
• Utilities and shelter; and
• Mental health care.

“What you do is you pick up the phone, you call 211,” said Kylie Murray United Way Amarillo and Canyon CEO and President. “That’s what you do and then what our ladies do over there is compile all of the resources that are available to community for all these different needs. Then you call and say, hey, I really need some help, I need a place to go get some food. Then they have an entire list of places that you can go to that are nonprofit that you can go to and get some food for your family.”

Aside from dialing 2-1-1, the UW said that the helpline can also be reached by calling 877-541-7905 or by visiting the website. Further information about the helpline can also be found here.