211 Helpline of the Finger Lakes Region

What is the 211 Helpline?

The 211 Helpline provides information, resources, and immediate emergency assistance to individuals in need.

211 Helpline Specialists provide compassionate information, referrals, and crisis/suicide prevention services based on their needs and location.

This is a free and confidential call, text, or chat resource to help those in need, available 24/7.

How Individuals Access 211 Helpline Services:

Dial 211

or 1-800-346-2211. Available 24 hours

Text

Text your ZIP code to 898-211. Mon-Fri 9:00am-3:00pm

Search

211 Service Directory. Available 24 hours

Chat

Mon-Fri 8:00am-11:00pm

Online Form

Complete here. Info requested is to better help you. Emails are answered Mon-Fri 9:00am-3:00pm.

Every day, 211 connects people to hope and practical solutions.

Income and Nutritional Services

A 211 specialist connects a new mother with the local WIC office and helps her schedule an appointment to access nutrition support for her and her baby.

Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention

When someone calls in distress, trained staff offer immediate emotional support and connect them with local mental health services.

Transportation

A specialist helps a senior arrange rides for medical appointments through the UNYICN Ride Health program.

Childcare and Financial Assistance

A specialist helps a parent complete income screening for childcare financial assistance and find local preschools with open availability.

Healthcare

The 211 operator connects a resident with a primary care provider who offers sliding-scale fees.

Legal Services

The helpline specialist refers a domestic violence survivor to free legal representation and safe housing through a local nonprofit.

Advocacy and Community Engagement

The 211 helpline specialist refers an individual to voter registration resources.

Substance Use and Mental Health Services

The specialist connects an individual to outpatient counseling, peer support, and family support services for opioid recovery.

The 211 Helpline for the Finger Lakes region is available to over 1.1 million residents in six counties.

Residents of other counties are referred to their local 211 center.

New Informational Tools are Available

Access the GetHelpNY Toolkit

The toolkit was released in January 2026 and is intended for public-facing organizations to learn about and share information regarding the GETHELPNY texting service. Contents include a service overview, FAQ and response guidelines, and digital communications resources.

GetHelpNY-Toolkit

Flyers

Print and display these informational flyers to spread the work about the 211 helpine.

IHS Updates for Spring 2026

View the Full IHS Update
GHNY-SOR-Update-Slides-Feb-2026.pptx-Google-Slides

Happy 211 Day!

To celebrate the 211 holiday on February
11th, IHS published a 10-minute narrated
video that provides an overview for
info-seekers to 211 Helpline’s
information and referral services.
Visit bit.ly/Happy211Day

GetHELPNY Awareness Survey

Brockport Research Institute is assisting 211 assess user engagement across their service region. Collection is ongoing.

Community Outreach

IHS can provide customized presentations to your organization to spread awareness and undserstanding of the GetHelpNY automated texting program. Contact IHS at hultsr@ihsnet.org to request a presentation to your group.

Request Marketing Materials

211 Helpline of the Finger Lakes Region is seeking to promote its new automated texting program and is inviting requests for rack cards to facilitate this initiative.

The aim is to connect individuals requiring assistance with the available services. The 211 Helpline of the Finger Lakes is offering community partners the opportunity to receive branded outreach materials free of charge to support this cause.

Marketing Materials include: bookmarks, posters, and rack cards.

Request materials here

Join our Directory

211 Helpline of the Finger Lakes Region connects people in need to government and community resources. We are your partners in helping to identify community needs and to fill gaps in services to build a healthier tomorrow. To do this, 211 Helpline curates a service directory of agencies and the programs and services they provide. This directory is searchable on our website, used by our contact staff to provide information and referrals to community members, and much, much more.

Add a New Agency or Update an Existing Program

To add a new agency or to update an existing agency, site, or program, log in here.

add or update here