IMPACT | John Hyatt, President & CEO | 414-256-4808 | www.impactinc.org
Dear Friends,

When faced with extraordinarily difficult circumstances, one quickly realizes the value of planning, preparation and partnerships. This week, many places closed due to heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures. As a 24-hour crisis line serving individuals and families - those often in desperate situations - IMPACT 2-1-1 does not close. I'm extremely proud of the twenty-nine 2-1-1 community resource specialists and other IMPACT staff who worked tirelessly around the clock to ensure that every call, text and chat session was handled with expertise and care.
 
At times, IMPACT 2-1-1 was not only managing a higher volume of our own calls, but also providing coverage for other 2-1-1s throughout the state, as well as the Waukesha Department of Health & Human Services, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division and Department on Aging. Thousands of calls were logged over four days. This was possible thanks to years of extensive emergency planning that is heavily dependent on equipment, technology and training. Many of the calls were answered remotely, avoiding any disruption in service while protecting the safety of our people. At peak call times, additional staff logged into the system to bolster our response to, among other critical requests, a record number of emergency furnace repair calls.
 
Not surprisingly, 40 percent of our calls this week have been weather-related. IMPACT 2-1-1 coordinates entry for vulnerable populations seeking access to emergency shelter and extreme weather centers. Working in collaboration with Milwaukee County's Continuum of Care, its network of providers, and street outreach workers, we ensured that people were safe and warm. The system's investment in and preparation for a cold weather response has proven invaluable.
 
Without our partners and funders, IMPACT would be incapable of helping people during times of personal crisis and community disaster. Every day we make hundreds of referrals to organizations that deliver essential resources. We all play a role in helping people regain stability. We also have a responsibility to foster system improvement so that, when faced with the next extraordinarily difficult circumstance, we are all in the best possible position to respond.
 
Sincerely,
IMPACT In The News

READ: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - We Energies Donates $100,000 to Milwaukee Warming Centers, Leading To More Time Open (January 18, 2019) 
WATCH: TMJ4 - 2-1-1 Takes More Cold Calls In Brutal Weather (January 25, 2019)
WATCH: TMJ4 - Milwaukee Braces For Dangerous Bone-Chilling Cold (January 29, 2019) 
LISTEN: Wisconsin Public Radio - Warming Shelters An Option In Some Communities During Cold Weather (January 29, 2019)
LISTEN: WUWM 89.7 - What This Extreme Cold Means for Milwaukee's Homeless (January 29, 2019)
READ: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - People Seek Refuge in Warming Rooms as Outreach Teams Seek Homeless in Cold (January 30, 2019) 
WATCH: WISN 12 - Homeless Advocates Rush To Get People To Shelters (January 30, 2019)
 
Volunteers Needed for 2-1-1 Awareness Day Activity

Help us celebrate 2-1-1 Day on 2/11/19. United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County is mobilizing volunteers to increase awareness of this critical community resource. Join us in United Way's new Johnson Controls Volunteer Center from 8:30 to 9:30 am for a short presentation; then from 9:30 to 11:30am volunteers will be given the opportunity to place follow-up calls with community members who have utilized the service recently. The surveys help us collect success stories and valuable data to ensure positive outcomes. Special thanks to activity sponsor Milwaukee Area Labor Council! Register today by clicking here.
Updated Safety-Net Clinic Referral Directory now available

A comprehensive inventory of free and community health centers and other safety-net providers serving low-income, uninsured and vulnerable populations in Milwaukee County is now available. The 2019 edition contains essential information about nearly 70 primary care, dental, mental health and specialty clinics.
Sponsored by the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, in collaboration with the Free and Community Clinic Collaborative, the Safety-Net Clinic Directory was produced by IMPACT with funding from the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County.
If you are a provider, care manager, health and human service professional or work directly with clients in a similar capacity, you may request a printed directory here.
Free Tax Preparation and Filing with VITA

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a national program staffed by local volunteers to provide free preparation and electronic filing of tax returns for individuals and families who meet income eligibility criteria, All volunteers are IRS-certified. In Racine County, you can schedule an appointment with a VITA volunteer simply by dialing 2-1-1 Last year, IMPACT 2-1-1 scheduled 800 appointments in which tax refunds totaled over $1,000,000. For more information including hours and locations, visit United Way of Racine County.

IMPACT changes lives, for good. We help people take the first step to resolve a crisis and create a path toward stabilization; as well as collaborate with our partners to foster system improvement.

 

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