211 service is live in Douglas County

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. -- A new health service line is coming to Douglas County.

The service is called 211, and that's the number that you can call starting Tuesday with any of your health related questions.

Services range from letting people know where they can get food donations to providing information about outbreaks in the area.

Basically, if you want to know anything about local support services, they can help.

It's a free national service, and as of Tuesday, it's available in Douglas County too.

Molly Sullivan is a resource data manager, who will be involved with getting Douglas County health and emergency information to the call center. "The residents of Douglas County are going to be benefited greatly, it's going to be a great resource for everyone to have," she said.

The service was made possible locally thanks to a $366,000 grant from the Ford Family Foundation, and the local information hubs are working as a joint venture through UCAN and the United Way.

But it's not just about health questions: Officials say it can also play a vital role in emergency situations.

Mike Fieldman, the UCAN director, says in emergency situations, the hotline will be key. "Let's say there's a flood that goes on, and people need to know where to find sandbags. If the information is given to 211, they'll be able to have that information in real time, and people can call and find out where to get that kind of help," he said.

You can visit their Web site for more information.