211 is Berks County’s lifeline for help.
In a crisis, in a disaster, in a pandemic, 211 is here to help every person in our community connect to essential services. Dial 211, text your zip code to 898211 or live chat or search at pa211east.org to find information on broad range of services including:
- Housing - includes payment assistance, eviction and other landlord/tenant issues, emergency shelter and subsidized housing
- Utilities - includes mediation assistance and help with water, gas, fuel, phone and electric bills
- Family Resources - includes child care, online learning resources, camps, child development and emergency family support
- Food - includes food pantries, home delivered meals, sit down meals, assistance programs and pet care
- Elder care - includes in-home assistance, health and nutrition, support and transportation
- Health - includes physical, mental and dental health, medical transportation, vaccines and insurance
- After-school programs and more
A trained information and referral specialist will answer your call or text 24/7 and ask you a series of questions in order to understand your unique needs. Help is available in multiple languages and is completely confidential.
Related: 211 Gives People a Toolkit of Knowledge | Five Things to Know About 211 | Top 5 Reasons to Use 211
In 2023, nearly 18,000 contacts were made via phone, texting and the 211 database.