Each week we will post a summary of interesting and representative 211 calls. This week, we have connections from New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

New Brunswick:

When people are concerned about someone they know, but do not know where to start, 211 is a good first call. Service Navigators will assess the situation and find resources and referrals that can help.

A concerned landlord contacted 211 about an elderly tenant who was having difficulty caring for themselves. The landlord was worried the tenant was no longer able to take the correct dosage of their diabetes medication. According to the landlord, the tenant did not want to go into a nursing home.

The Service Navigator suggested the landlord ask the tenant to contact 211. For confidentiality reasons, the Navigator could not contact the tenant since they were unaware the landlord was making the call.

The tenant then called 211 to inform them that they were struggling and that they needed food – that they could not stand long enough to cook. After making sure the tenant did not need the ambulance and after consulting with their supervisor, the Service Navigator called Adult Protection (Social Development), to alert them about the situation.

With permission from the tenant, the Service Navigator called back the landlord and asked if they could bring the tenant some food, to which they agreed.

When the Service Navigator called back the tenant the day after for a follow up, the tenant had received food from their landlord and another adult was present with the tenant (other than the landlord) in the apartment at the time of the call. According to the tenant, the person present with them at the time of the follow up call was helping them. The Navigator could clearly hear an adult speaking to the tenant in the background. The tenant then ended the call.

Newfoundland and Labrador:

When people are having difficulties in obtaining food, chances are that they need help with other basic needs as well, including housing or income support. 211 Service Navigators will look at the situation holistically and help the caller with referrals to assist in the short term and for the long term.

A woman called 211 and she was having a hard time. She was low on food because the refrigerator where they were renting had a broken door and kept ruining the food. She told the Service Navigator that she had a medical condition, which affected her mobility. She was unable to go out to get a food hamper; she would need to have the hamper delivered. She told the Service Navigator: “I can’t get out because of my issues and I now have no food! Can you help me?”

The caller told the Service Navigator that she had experienced domestic violence previously and was looking to connect with an agency or a hotline about this as well.

With the caller’s permission, the Service Navigator contacted a food bank in the caller’s area and advocated for her. The food bank agreed to deliver a food hamper to her. She then gave the caller a referral to a local domestic violence shelter, and let the caller know how it could help women in the community.

Finally, the Service Navigator was very concerned about the caller’s housing situation, as obviously, an important appliance was not working properly and the landlord was not repairing it adequately. The Service Navigator offered the caller a referral to an intensive follow up program for people in precarious housing circumstances, and the caller agreed.