Findhelp - 211

08/01/2025

Today is Emancipation Day. August 1 marks the day slavery was abolished across the British Empire in 1834. In Canada, this day is both a moment of remembrance and a call to action—a time to honour the resilience and contributions of Black communities while recognizing the ongoing realities of systemic anti-Black racism.

At Findhelp | 211, we are committed to equity in all that we do. This includes supporting access to Black-led services, amplifying community voices, and ensuring our data and navigation work actively contribute to dismantling systemic barriers.

Let this day remind us that reflection must be paired with action.

07/29/2025

Earlier this month, our team joined fellow Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) Anchor Partners to celebrate one year of city-wide expansion and the incredible impact of this community-led, trauma-informed crisis response model.

TCCS provides free, confidential, in-person mental health support from mobile crisis teams to Toronto residents aged 16 and older—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service focuses on low-barrier, consent-based, client-centered care that connects people to supports when and how they need it. Find more information on TCCS here: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/community-safety-wellbeing-programs/toronto-community-crisis-service/

We are especially proud to recognize two outstanding | 211 team members nominated at the inaugural TCCS’ “Beyond the Call” Expansion Celebration:

🌟 Giselle Hussein, Coordinator Nominee – Call-taking and Dispatch Excellence Award;
Selected by her peers, Giselle’s unwavering leadership and dedication have been instrumental to the success of TCCS since day one. She embodies Findhelp’s core values of equity, integrity, people-first service, collaboration, and innovation.

🌟 Sarah K**i, Community Resource Specialist Nominee – Dedication to Service Award;
In less than two years, Sarah has grown into a highly trusted and compassionate voice within our team. Her trauma-informed and equity-centered approach ensures every caller is met with empathy, dignity, and care.

Please join us in congratulating Giselle and Sarah—two remarkable individuals who elevate our mission every day and reflect the heart of our 211 navigation team and organization.

City of Toronto

06/27/2025

Happy Canadian Multiculturalism Day! Today, we celebrate the many cultures, languages, and communities that make our country beautifully diverse. Findhelp | 211 is committed to social justice by ensuring diverse communities—including individuals, families, youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, and members of Indigenous, Black, newcomer, and LGBTQ2S+ communities—are seen, supported, and included.

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Bonne Journée canadienne du multiculturalisme ! Aujourd’hui, nous célébrons les multiples cultures, langues et communautés qui font toute la richesse et la beauté de notre pays. Findhelp | 211 s'engage à promouvoir la justice sociale en veillant à ce que les communautés diverses — notamment les personnes, familles, jeunes, aînés, personnes en situation de handicap ainsi que les membres des communautés autochtones, noires, nouvellement arrivées et LGBTQ2S+ — soient reconnues, soutenues et incluses.

06/25/2025

We were delighted to attend United Way Greater Toronto’s (UWGT) 69th Annual General Meeting and warmly welcome their new President & CEO, Heather McDonald. The event provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on UWGT's impactful year and explore their bold 10-year strategic vision.

Congratulations to UWGT for your continued dedication and leadership in building stronger, more vibrant communities across the Greater Toronto Area. Findhelp | 211 is proud to be your partner in serving the community.

06/21/2025

As a settler-founded and funded organization, we acknowledge the ongoing impact of colonization and our role within systems that continue to harm Indigenous Peoples. We also recognize and honour the strength, brilliance, and leadership of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Turtle Island—including 2-Spirit, non-status, urban, and all self-identifying Indigenous communities.

We are committed to learning from Indigenous knowledge systems and moving our Truth & Reconciliation Framework into meaningful action.

06/18/2025

Thanks so much Inform USA for highlighting us and for the kind words!

🎉 Big Accreditation Congratulations to Findhelp - 211 in Toronto, ON!
This long-standing 211 provider, serving Toronto, Peel, Durham, York and providing after-hours coverage across Ontario, has achieved their 5th Inform USA Accreditation, making them one of only five organizations to hold continuous accreditation since the program began!

👏 Hats off to the Findhelp team for your leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to service and equity.

👉 Curious about Inform USA Accreditation? www.informusa.org/why-accreditation

06/13/2025

It was a pleasure for several of our team members to join the City of Toronto by participating in their Newcomer Day fair at Nathan Phillips Square. With representation from our outreach, editorial, navigation, and communications departments, our team welcomed over 100 newcomers and visitors at our Findhelp | 211 kiosk to provide information on ways they can access the help they need, when they need it—especially services tailored to newcomer needs.

Link, our Director of Communications and Engagement, spoke with Radio-Canada (CBC) to share about the important role 211 plays in assisting various communities, including newcomers. Listen here (French only): https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/dans-la-mosaique/segments/rattrapage/2082254/journee-nouveaux-arrivants-au-nathan-phillips-square-2

211 is a free and confidential service available in 170+ languages and 24/7. The service is accessible by dialing 2-1-1, visiting 211Central.ca, or through the 211 app (app.211.ca).

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Plusieurs membres de notre équipe ont eu le plaisir de se joindre à la Ville de Toronto en participant à la Journée des nouveaux arrivants au Nathan Phillips Square. Composée de représentants de nos départements de sensibilisation, de rédaction, de navigation et de communication, notre équipe a accueilli plus de 100 nouveaux arrivants et visiteurs à notre kiosque Findhelp | 211 afin de les informer sur les moyens d'accéder à l'aide dont ils ont besoin, quand ils en ont besoin, notamment aux services adaptés aux besoins de nouveaux arrivants.

Link, notre directeur des communications et de l'engagement, s'est entretenu avec Radio-Canada (CBC) pour parler du rôle important que joue le 211 pour aider diverses communautés, y compris les nouveaux arrivants. Écoutez l'entrevue ici: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/dans-la-mosaique/segments/rattrapage/2082254/journee-nouveaux-arrivants-au-nathan-phillips-square-2

Le 211 est un service gratuit et confidentiel, disponible en plus de 170 langues et accessible 24h/24 et 7j/7. Vous pouvez y accéder en composant le 2-1-1, en visitant 211Central.ca/fr ou via l'application 211 (app.211.ca/fr).

06/12/2025

🚨 Our Data for Change Workshop Series Is Back!

Findhelp | 211, in partnership with the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA), LogicalOutcomes, and Services and Housing In the Province - SHIP, is proud to continue our Data for Change learning series on social demographic data collection and data equity.

Below is more information about our next session: “Data Equity: Building Impact.”

📅 Thursday, June 19, 2025 from 1:30–3:00 p.m. EDT
📍 Zoom registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JUMzH7-yS_Wln9TypQQ0aA #/registration
🕚 Register by June 17 at the latest
🗣️ Spread the word within your networks

This session will focus on collecting inclusive data and implementing a Data Equity Training Program—key tools to help improve access to culturally appropriate services and reduce systemic barriers.

All workshops are FREE and open to social service providers.

Past sessions are available NOW on dataforchange.ca

06/10/2025

We are thrilled to launch our Updates web page, our new blog space at Findhelp | 211 — a place to share stories, data-driven insights, and news that impact the communities we serve.

Our very first post, “Mental Health Matters Every Day,” explores the rising mental health needs across the GTA and how Findhelp | 211 and our partners are working to bridge critical gaps in support.

This is just the beginning. We invite you to return to our Updates page regularly for new updates.

🔗 Read now: https://findhelp.ca/mental-health-matters-everyday/�
☎️ Need support? Dial 2-1-1 or visit 211Central.ca

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Nous sommes ravis de lancer notre nouvelle page web de Mises à jour, notre nouveau blogue chez Findhelp | 211 — un espace pour partager des histoires, des données éclairantes et des nouvelles qui touchent les communautés que nous servons.

Notre tout premier article, « La santé mentale compte chaque jour », explore les besoins croissants en santé mentale dans la région du Grand Toronto et les efforts de Findhelp | 211 et de ses partenaires pour combler les lacunes essentielles en matière de soutien.

Ce n’est qu’un début. Nous vous invitons à visiter régulièrement notre page Mises à jour pour découvrir nos dernières nouveautés.

🔗 Lire maintenant : https://findhelp.ca/fr/mental-health-matters-everyday/�
☎️ Besoin d’aide ? Composez le 2-1-1 ou visitez 211Central.ca

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Recently, a Toronto-based caller experiencing anxiety and depression reached out to 211 for support after struggling to find appropriate mental health resources independently. With empathy and intentional questioning, the Service Navigator carefully assessed their needs and frustrations, providing p...

06/09/2025

It was a pleasure for some of our Findhelp | 211 team to join 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations, our Indigenous-led Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) anchor partner, this weekend for their 4th annual 2-Spirit Powwow. As we celebrate National Indigenous History Month, we are especially grateful for the invitation to witness and be part of honouring, uplifting, and learning from Indigenous communities and their vibrant traditions.

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Certains membres de notre équipe Findhelp | 211 ont eu le plaisir de se joindre à 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations, notre partenaire autochtone du Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS), cette fin de semaine à l’occasion de leur quatrième Pow-wow bispirituel annuel. Alors que nous célébrons le Mois national de l’histoire autochtone, nous sommes particulièrement reconnaissants de cette invitation à participer à l’hommage rendu aux communautés autochtones, tout en s'immergeant dans leurs traditions vibrantes et inspirantes.

06/06/2025

We are so proud of our very own Corinne Gallois, who has been named Inform USA’s 2025 Community Resource Specialist – Database Curator of the Year! 🎉

Corinne’s outstanding leadership in taxonomy and data curation ensures our 211 data remains clear, consistent, and accessible—helping thousands of people connect with the essential services they need. Her dedication, collaboration, and passion set the standard for excellence across our sector.

Nominated by our Executive Director Sue Wilkinson and SeniorsNL’s Trudy Marshall, who described her as “absolutely indispensable to the sector,” Corinne truly embodies the mission and values of Findhelp | 211.

Congratulations, Corinne—thank you for your incredible impact! 🌟

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Nous sommes tellement fiers de notre collègue Corinne Gallois, qui a été nommée « Community Resource Specialist – Database Curator of the Year » pour 2025 par Inform USA ! 🎉

Le leadership remarquable de Corinne en matière de taxonomie et de gestion des données garantit que les informations de notre service 211 soient claires, cohérentes et accessibles, permettant ainsi à des milliers de personnes de trouver les services essentiels dont elles ont besoin. Sa détermination, son esprit collaboratif et sa passion constituent une véritable référence d'excellence dans notre secteur.

Nommée par notre directrice générale Sue Wilkinson et par Trudy Marshall de SeniorsNL, qui la décrit comme « absolument indispensable au secteur », Corinne incarne pleinement la mission et les valeurs de Findhelp | 211.

Félicitations, Corinne — merci pour ton impact exceptionnel ! 🌟

06/06/2025

Findhelp | 211 wishes everyone a Happy Pride!

Pride brings people together to celebrate the diverse 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

At Findhelp | 211 we are committed to promote the inclusion of equity-deserving groups that have been, and continue to be, underrepresented including, the 2SLGBTQIA community. We are committed to improving accessibility to human and social services through ongoing and new initiatives, partnerships and approaches.

Call 2-1-1 for a free, confidential referral to 2SLGBTQIA+ programs, services, and supports.