United Way awarded $350,000 in DCED funding for PA 211 Southwest helpline
United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania has received $350,000 in new funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) for technology upgrades to the PA 211 Southwest human services helpline. This DCED discretionary funding is courtesy of Sens. Kim Ward and Jay Costa.
“PA 211 is an incredible 24-hour resource that strengthens our community by serving as our region’s premiere social services helpline,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward. “The additional $350,000 in funding will give more families, older adults and veterans peace of mind when facing life challenges by ensuring PA 211 staff have more resources to provide effective services to help those in need.”
Between July 2025 and June 2026, PA 211 Southwest’s knowledgeable and compassionate staff, known as resource navigators, answered more than 143,000 calls, texts and chats, and connected people across Pennsylvania to local resources for housing, utilities, food, employment assistance and more. Of these, 132,000 were requests for help with basic needs, an increase of 16% from July 2024 to June 2026.
“PA 211 Southwest is a lifeline and a vital resource in our community,” said Sen. Costa. “As families struggle to make ends meet amid an affordability crisis, PA 211’s compassionate and highly trained resource navigators are opening doors for people every day. I was extremely proud to support this funding, and I look forward to seeing these dollars make a real difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians.”
Why PA 211 Southwest matters: PA 211 is the region’s premier social services helpline. Calls, texts and web chats are answered by real people who help connect Pennsylvanians to resources available in their local communities. The top three needs are consistently access to affordable housing, help paying for utilities, and food assistance. In times of crisis, PA 211 is even more critical. In October 2025, during the federal government shutdown — when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were set to freeze — 211 experienced an 187% increase in food needs compared to October 2024. Other upcoming policy changes — such as new work requirements for Medicaid recipients and reduced federal food assistance aid to states — are expected to increase the demand for services across southwestern Pennsylvania.
For the past decade, Pennsylvania’s state budget has included $750,000 for PA 211 across the entire Commonwealth. This special funding from DCED is not included in that budget line item. Our local PA 211 Southwest contact center costs about $3.5 million to run each year and serves 53% of Pennsylvania’s population.
The investment from DCED will be used to improve data analysis and efficiency to equip 211 staff to handle more contacts. AI-powered tools will provide 211 staff with automated database searches for resources to make it faster and easier for staff to offer assistance. AI tools will also provide conversation prompts during live calls to help manage difficult conversations and diffuse tension for callers who are stressed. AI tools will assist with notetaking following each call, saving an average of four minutes per call and enabling each staff member to handle 10 additional calls per shift, which translates to 3,200 additional calls per month.
These tools will also analyze all contacts to uncover emerging statewide needs, identify service gaps and find opportunities to strengthen Pennsylvania’s safety net.