You’ve probably heard of 2-1-1 San Diego. It’s an organization that connects people to essential services. On Wednesday, it announced they’re launching a new initiative called San Diegans Helping San Diegans. Organizers say they want people to know where to go for help, especially with unce rtainty growing around federal funding cuts to some programs. “Today, we’re here with these rainstorms, and upstairs, we are navigating people to inclement weather shelters,” said William York, who is the CEO of 211 San Diego. The 2-1-1 service, which is free and available 24/7, connects people to local community services and resources in times of need. Last year, 2-1-1 served more than 400,000 San Diegans. “They provide countless referrals to services like food and housing assistance, help with utility payment, health care, child care, employment, military and veteran services, and more,” said Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif, who represents San Diego and its 50th District. With the federal government cutting nearly $1 trillion in health care spending and reducing food assistance for low-income people by 20%, many San Diegans will feel the impacts of those cuts, York said. The objective of the San Diegans Helping San Diegans campaign is to ensure the needs of San Diegans are met. “We must stay focused, informed and united to protect access to these services, and also direct services to fill the gaps that the federal changes create,” William York said. Casey Castillo, who is the CEO of the San Diego Food Bank, aid a good example of that was when the food bank partnered with 2-1-1 San Diego last year to meet the needs of San Diegans during the government shutdown. “Cal Fresh is the foundation of food security, and 2-1-1 helps make sure families successfully secure and maintain that CalFresh lifeline,” Castillo said. Cal Fire battalion chief Brent Pascua said 2-1-1 also plays a key role in supporting the community during fires. “We found during the fires in 2007 that having a system like 2-1-1 to keep that pressure off our 911 system was so beneficial,” Pascua said. York said there are more than 1,200 agencies providing services to the community. “2-1-1 is for everyone, and there’s a host of resources that exist, and it’s for all ages and all types of communities,” York said. “It’s not just economic [agencies] that people can reach out to us [for],” York said. Moving forward, 2-1-1 San Diego will be tracking all the changes and updates, helping people stay qualified and connected. ...read more read less