COVID-19 and 211
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, BC211 has grown to meet the challenge of providing vital support to British Columbians as they navigate the social, community, and government services available to help.
Here are some of the milestones we reached along the way:
March 2020
- 211 expands throughout British Columbia. Made possible by the BC Ministry of Health.
- Safe Seniors, Strong Communities launches. Registration of both seniors and volunteers is provided by BC211 for this BC Ministry of Health and United Way initiative.
April 2020
- 10-year anniversary of 211 service in British Columbia.
By the end of 2020
- 211 is available Canada-wide. Made possible by the Government of Canada and United Way Centraide, 211 expands into previously unserved areas.
Across the province and country, the pandemic has highlighted the value of 211 and put many people in the position of needing support for the first time in their lives.
211 British Columbia – Contact Volumes 2020
Total Contacts: Approx. 58,000
17% increase from 2019
(includes: calls, text, chat, mail)
Approx. 12,300 of those contacts were for the Safe Seniors, Strong Communities program.
Top 3 Topics
Housing & Homelessness - 40%
Health* - 18%
Income & Financial Assistance 12%
*COVID-19, Dental, Home Support, Physicians, Medical Equipment
In 2020, over 73,000 directory searches were conducted on our website, ranking BC the 211 region with the most self-serve online database searches in Canada.
As British Columbia emerges from the third wave, we are excited to launch this new mobile-optimized website. The new look and address (bc.211.ca) are consistent with other 211 websites across the country. Our former website, bc211.ca will continue to be the online home of our non-profit organization, BC211.
We hope you will take a few minutes to explore the new website and discover the social, community, and government services available in your community.
