The staff and volunteers at Vermont 2-1-1 send you wishes for a happy holiday season and a reminder that you can dial 2-1-1 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Vermont 2-1-1 Monthly Contact Statistics

A message from the Director, MaryEllen Mendl

Winter has definitely arrived, and the rise in November’s contact volume remains a true harbinger of our cold weather season. November’s contact volume of 3,957 is indicative of our falling temperatures. Each year, the month of November brings the beginning of the winter spike in calls for Emergency Housing and Utility Assistance! Referrals to resources for help with emergency housing were the highest since January, and utility assistance referrals hit a calendar high this November. The Vermont 2-1-1 contact center specialists now anticipate this annual trend and have prepared themselves for a rapid and compassionate response to this greater number of distress calls from individuals seeking shelter from the cold. All of our emergency housing partners know well that the numbers will continue to rise as winter settles in and temperatures continue to fall. (The After-Hours Emergency Housing Report for November is included below in the section "Emergency Housing in Vermont.")

Another sure sign of the onset of the winter season and the anxieties it brings for many is reflected in the number of contacts and website searches for information about holiday programs. More than 1,600 searches were done for this month from Vermonters looking for assistance that would allow their families to participate in the traditions that make the holidays a time of celebration.

A noteworthy increase this month involves the Public Assistance Programs sub-category. Last month's total of 215 referrals is the highest number of referrals in this category this year. The primary referral in this category was to the state's General Assistance program, an a resource providing basic financial assistance to those with limited means. General Assistance takes several forms, including cash allowances for qualifying individuals, temporary housing for people who are homeless, and transportation assistance for stranded individuals to return to their state of residence. The Public Assistance Program sub-category total also includes referrals to Reach Up, 3SquaresVT, and other State and Federal public assistance programs.

As the “Vermont 2-1-1 (Web)-site Seeing Tour” continues around the state, November numbers show there were 6363 visits to Vermont 2-1-1's website. Of those visits, 2651 were from new users. The website's new guided search option was most preferred way of looking for resources. (For more on how the public used Vermont 2-1-1's website during November, you can check out the "Vermont 2-1-1 Web Statistics" segment below!)

Read Vermont 2-1-1's monthly contact volume report here.

Helping Make Your New Year's Resolutions Stick

The holiday season is already upon us, and January 1st will be here before we know it. As the end of the year approaches, many people think about making New Year’s resolutions. While that can be a good way to promise ourselves that we will make positive lifestyle changes, it can also add to the stress when we worry about our ability to keep those promises.

An article entitled “Making Your New Year’s Resolution Stick” on the American Psychological Association’s (APA) website makes this suggestion about keeping resolutions:

“By making your resolutions realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year, incorporating healthy behavior into your everyday life.”

The article goes on to recommend that you start small and change one behavior at a time, which can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. Other tips are to talk about your resolution with friends and family, remember that minor slip-ups don’t have to mean abandoning your goal, and ask for support. (You can read the full article by clicking on the link above.)

Some typical resolutions include

Eating healthier foods
Getting in shape
Giving up smoking
Getting out of debt
Giving back by donating time and/or money

Vermont 2-1-1's online database can help connect you to resources to help you make your resolution stick. You can search on one or more of the following terms along with your zip code to check out some potentially resolution-promoting resources in your community!

Wellness Programs
Physical Fitness
Information Clearinghouses * Money Management
Personal Financial Counseling
Volunteer Recruitment/Placement
Federated Giving Programs (to find your local United Way)
Charity Information

You can also call Vermont 2-1-1 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (including New Year's Day!) for personal assistance in locating resources you may need to help make your resolutions a reality. Here’s to your healthy, happy new year choices!

Vermont 2-1-1 Web Statistics

In addition to the contact statistics, the following data is from the 2-1-1 website and shows how the public used the database search engine during the month of November:

Top Services: Christmas Programs (587 searches); Medication Disposal (564 searches); Holiday Toys/Gifts (545 searches); Thanksgiving Programs (512 searches); Soup Kitchens (249 searches)

Top Agencies: Salvation Army (Rutland); Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA); United Way of Northwest Vermont; Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO); BROC

Top Searches by City: Burlington; Winooski; Brattleboro; Lincoln; New Haven

Total Site Visits: 6363

Unique (First-Time) Visitors: 2651

Emergency Housing in Vermont

Through a partnership with the State of Vermont's Economic Services Division, Vermont 2-1-1 administers the After Hours Emergency Housing Program beginning at 4:30pm weekdays, throughout weekends and on state/federal holidays. Housing in Vermont has reached a critical need.

Vermont 2-1-1 Information and Referral (I&R) Specialists responded to 614 calls regarding housing needs. I&R specialists provide needs assessment, problem-solving support, and information and referrals to a wide range of services to each caller. Review Vermont 2-1-1's Emergency Housing Report for November here.

Facing Food Insecurity

To many, this time of year is the season of celebrating. Holidays can mean gifts, spending time with family and friends, and of course, lots of food. But for some in Vermont, just having enough food to last until the next paycheck is a struggle. According to Hunger Free Vermont, 59,882 Vermonters didn’t have regular access to nutritious food last year, and 17,726 Vermont children under 18 lived in food insecure households. Not having enough access to nutritious food has health and developmental consequences for children. Children’s Health Watch research has shown that infants and toddlers in food insecure households are 30% more likely to have had a past hospitalization, 90% more likely to be in fair or poor health and 76% more likely to be at developmental risk, including cognitive, motor or behavioral problems. Families face food insecurity for many reasons from low wages, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, increasing utility bills, and lack of transportation to food resources.

Many Vermont communities have food resources to help families, from benefit programs like 3Squares and WIC to local food pantries or community meals -- and the Child Development Specialists at Help Me Grow VT can help families connect to them. If your family or a family you know is struggling with food insecurity, contact Help Me Grow VT for support. Help Me Grow is available at 2-1-1 option 6, by e-mail, or by texting HMGVT to 898211.