Cary, NC - Every year, United Way of North Carolina organizes Jones Street Advocacy Day, an event that allows local United Way members to travel to our state's capital during legislative session. The goal is to meet with legislators and educate them about NC 211 and to request funding that can support the valuable, statewide service.
This year's funding request was the following:
The NC Appropriations Act of 2019 and 2021 secured $480,000 in recurring funding for NC 211. UWNC is requesting an additional $270,000 in FY 2024-25 to maintain NC 211’s ability to serve North Carolina residents who are struggling to meet basic needs, and as the official public information service of the State Emergency Response Team, our ability to help the state respond to emergencies such as Hurricane Florence and the pandemic.
Funding will support:
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Staffing capacity to ensure high-quality and efficient service for NC 211 users.
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Increased telephone capacity to meet ongoing call surges caused by disasters and health crises.
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Data analytics to improve system management and decision-making.
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Multi-channel communications to expand NC 211's text and chat functionalities.
In total, there were 13 scheduled visits with legislators and 51 letters hand-delivered to legislators' offices on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. This year's Jones Street Advocacy Day was planned and facilitated by UWNC's Ed Bonilla, Director of Mission Advancement.
The following United Way members took part in this mission:
Pictured from left to right:
- Sara Carlson, Mission Advancement Specialist at UWNC
- Sandra Phelps, Executive Director at United Way of Coastal Carolina
- Raquel Painter, President & Chief Professional officer at United Way of Onslow County
- Ed Bonilla, Director of Mission Advancement at UWNC
- Jane Paksoy, IQVIA & UWNC Board Member
- Leah Proctor, Director of Programs at UWNC
- Sherry Brandsher, Managing Principal at CCR Consulting & UWNC Board Member
- Kristie Hege, President of United Way of Davidson County
- Brian White, ECU Health & UWNC Board Chair
- Brittany Pruitt Fletcher, President & CEO at UWNC
Not pictured:
- Brett Eckerman, Executive Director at United Way of Iredell County and Board Member of UWNC
- Savannah Lambert, Resource Development Director at United Way of Wayne County
- Sherry Archibald, Executive Director at United Way of Wayne County and Board Member of UWNC
Savannah Lambert (left) and Sherry Archibald (right) met with Senator Buck Newton (left photo) and Majority Leader Bell (right photo).
If you work for a United Way in North Carolina and are interested in participating in Jones Street Advocacy Day 2025, reach out to Ed Bonilla at ebonilla@unitedwaync.org.
About NC 211
NC 211 is a free, confidential, and multilingual health and human services information and referral system. Community Resource Specialists are available 24/7/365 to assist North Carolinians in all 100 counties. Residents can simply dial 2-1-1 to speak with a trained and compassionate specialist or visit nc211.org to search for resources on their own.
As the official public information service of the State Emergency Response Team, NC 211 experiences a significant increase in calls from residents seeking assistance during an emergency or disaster. For example, during Hurricane Florence NC 211 received 18, 728 calls in 111 days, and in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, NC 211 received 121,837 calls during a 6 1/2 month period.
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You can learn more about NC 211 at nc211.org. Follow NC 211 on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know about success stories and industry news.