Today, the City of Knoxville’s 311 Center for Service Innovation (CSI) joins 211 service centers nationwide in celebrating National 211 Day and hosting an open house to share its mission to connect residents with the social services available in our community. 

In addition to operating the 311 hotline that provides residents with City service requests and information since 2005, Knoxville’s CSI has collaborated with the Community Action Committee’s (CAC) Office on Aging and area United Ways to operate the East Tennessee 211 service center since June 2015.

East Tennessee 211 received 12,000 calls in 2018 from people seeking assistance, as well as those looking to provide help for others. In that same time frame, 211 hotlines across the country answered nearly 13 million calls for assistance. 

CSI Director Russ Jensen reports that the main reasons people call 211 in our area correspond to national call data. 

“Number one is housing and shelter,” he says, a category that also includes rental assistance. Additionally, top requests are for utility assistance, medical (including mental health) and dental services, food, and legal aid. Callers to 211 can also receive connections to area agencies that provide a variety of services to seniors, tax-preparation assistance, transportation assistance and volunteer opportunities. 

In Knoxville, 211 operators can be reached by dialing 2-1-1 or 865-215-4211 or by visiting  the 211 website.