Sunday marks 211 Day across British Columbia and the rest of North America.

Julia Wu with United Way BC says 211 is an information line to help people navigate community, social, and government systems.

She says people can call the number 24/7 for support, before a crisis emerges.

“People can call and talk to one of the navigators about the situation they are in; the navigator can then find the appropriate available resources in their local community.”

Since April 2023, 211 was dialed over 44,000 BC, a 19 per cent increase from the year prior.

Wu says it highlights the vital role 211 has for people struggling to navigate social services.

“I think what is special about this service is we do have a lot of options out there for self-service, which means you start out by having an idea of what you need to look for; but that is not necessarily the case for everyone or maybe those methods available.”

“So, being able to talk to a live person that can kind of do an assessment about what is happening and dig in a bit to get some clarity around what the problem is, what the person might have already tried and then be able to look at what else might be options.”

Wu says there has been a substantial rise in referrals to other agencies from 211, which she suggests underscores the growing complexity of questions and situations people are faced with.

United Way BC says while financial assistance, housing, and health continue to be prevalent reasons for calls, there has also been a notable increase in calls related to citizenship and immigration, human rights, and employment.