News and Information
The COVID-19 crisis has been a good test of Washington 211’s ability to ramp up to handle large volumes of calls in emergency situations. Two weeks ago, the Washington 211 Network began handling calls from the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 hotline (1-800-525-0127). Here are the highlights:Over 30,000 Calls Have Been Made to the HotlineEvery caller…
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Washington 211 Network Designated as Principle Call Center The Washington 211 (WA211) network has been designated and contracted by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to serve as the principal call center to provide information and referrals about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). At this time calls are being answered from the DOH 1-800-525-0127 number through the…
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You Played an Important Role in Supporting our Call Centers! The state legislature has approved this week a supplemental operating budget that includes $200,000 for upgrading telecommunications and other equipment for Washington 211 call centers. While a modest request, supplemental budget requests can be difficult to get funded. Your work in reaching out to your legislators, whether…
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Updated web portal with user-friendly design features and more educational resources helps owners of small businesses and individuals easily shop for affordable, state-verified retirement savings plans. OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce has launched the new Retirement Marketplace, a one-stop, easy-to-use website that helps owners of small businesses and individuals comparison shop for retirement savings plans. All plans on the marketplace are from…
Read MoreThe Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is an important benefit for working people with low to moderate incomes, but you must file a federal tax return to get it, even if you owe no income tax.OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce reminds anyone earning up to $55,952 that they may be eligible…
Read MoreDear 211 leaders and supporters, The Washington 211 Advocacy Day in Olympia will be February 11 (National 211 Day). Your full engagement in this day will play an important role in supporting our request for $222,000 in critical equipment and infrastructure upgrades. Key to the success of this day are legislator meetings. Call center managers…
Read More“Thirty seconds into the phone call, there is a piercing scream that would give you tinnitus in your ear if you don’t already have it. J’nai Starks smiles. This isn’t new to her when she answers a call to South Sound 2-1-1.” –read more!
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Power to choose – read more!Fruit and vegetable incentives put healthy food in Washington shoppers’ reach. Complete Eats coupons provide matching funds for fruits and vegetables. Every purchase $10 dollars of fruit and vegetables at participating Safeway stores, earns a $5 coupon for fruits and vegetables toward a future purchase.
Read MoreBig changes are coming to Washington 2-1-1! We are currently in the process of transitioning to a new database vendor for our community resources database. What does this mean for you, our users? We will be introducing a BRAND NEW search website which will launch in June 2019. Resource updates are currently -frozen-. During this…
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The clock is ticking…. 1 week left to submit your tax return to the IRS. Tax returns are due Monday April 15th 2019, but don’t worry, there are still free ways to file your taxes. Prepare yourself with MyFreeTaxes.comThe MyFreeTaxes.com partnership provides free state and federal tax preparation and filing assistance for qualified individuals. It’s easy, safe, secure…
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