United Way of Connecticut:
2-1-1 Community Connection
The mission of the United Way of Connecticut is to help meet the needs of Connecticut residents by providing information, education and connection to services.
Message from Rick Porth, President of United Way of Connecticut
Tax Credit Outreach Campaign
Once again, UNited Way of Connecticut is participating in the Tax Credit Outreach Campaigns to inform and educate families about their eligibility for federal tax credits. The Internal
Revenue Service has designated January 30 as National EITC Day to promote
access to the federal Earned Income Tax Credit. 2-1-1 will provide
information on the EITC, the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent
Care Tax Credit. To learn more or for a referral to a free tax preparation site
dial 2-1-1 or visit www.ctunitedway.org/taxes.
Utility Assistance Tops List of Requests for Information in 2008
United Way 2-1-1 fielded over 467,000 requests for information from callers in 2008, a 3 percent increase over 2007. Residents of Bloomfield made 3,201 requests. Calls for utility assistance topped the list last year. Statewide, 2-1-1 received over 58,000 requests for utility assistance information, a 53 percent increase from 2007. Rounding out the top five requests are housing and shelter, information services, outpatient mental health care and financial assistance.
Changes to HUSKY Healthcare Underway
Households
enrolled in the HUSKY health insurance program are receiving notices from
the Department of Social Services about the need to switch to a new managed
care network by January 30. The change is due to HUSKY ending its
relationship with Anthem Blue Care and traditional Medicaid. Those covered
by either Anthem or Medicaid must switch to one of three managed care
networks participating in HUSKY. Visit http://www.ctunitedway.org/husky.html
for more information
January is National Mentoring Month
Governor M. Jodi Rell has declared January National Mentoring Month as part of a statewide campaign to encourage adults to mentor children in their communities. Research shows that youth-adult mentor matches can improve student grades, school attendance, career options, family relationships and deter drug and alcohol use. This year the Governor is calling attention to the need for more male mentors since only 30 percent of mentors are men. Visit 2-1-1 for a listing of mentoring programs throughout Connecticut.