United Way and 211 connect people in need with disaster, food, housing, utility, and health care resources. Right now, call specialists are fielding 200-400 percent more calls than normal, and are expecting to get as many requests for help in the next six months as they usually do in an entire year.
To alleviate stress, Calm, the popular meditation app, is providing free, three-month memberships to 500 211 call specialists in states that have been activated to provide information to the public.
While teams are fielding calls around the clock from communities in need, they will now also have access to real time mediation, relaxation and stress relief tools to support their mental health. Calm has curated a web-based version of hand-picked content like guided meditation and breathing exercises to support the general public.