211 ONTARIO - COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE
March 17, 2020
ATTN: ALL HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS IN ONTARIO
Dear community partners,
The world is facing an unprecedented public health crisis with the rapid spread of COVID-19, and Ontario is not immune. Many programs, services and businesses are closing down or offering limited services in an effort to keep staff and clients safe.
211 Ontario works every day to collect, update, and professionally manage a comprehensive listing of Ontario’s social, health, community and government services and makes that information available to the public through 211ontario.ca. This same information is used by our 211 Service Navigators to direct people to appropriate services by phone, chat, text and email.
COVID-19 will continue to impact service delivery for the most vulnerable in our communities. It is important to ensure that we know what essential services (e.g. financial aid, food security, shelter etc.) are safely continuing and those that are emerging, especially for this population, many of whom cannot fully practice social distancing.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We will be creating an inventory of essential services that are being safely offered and/or put in place as a result of the current crisis to support 211 navigation. We will first focus on the inclusion of basic needs, priorities and COVID19 related community supports.
Please provide updates on emerging services to the link below:
https://211ontario.ca/contact-211-with-service-updates/
We are all deeply concerned about the impact that this crisis will have on the most vulnerable in our communities. As such, we are also working to ensure that the most up-to-date information on services will be made available to the public and you, our partners. An update on this will be provided ASAP. In the meantime, please direct people to 211 for information on new and emerging services.
For media inquiries related to the 211 response to COVID-19, please contact Jennifer Madigan at Syntax Strategic (jmadigan@syntaxstrategic.ca).
Karen Milligan
Executive Director | Ontario 211 Services