1-800-ONE-HELP: A single hotline to direct you to the help you need.

[originalpckelly]

In the past few months of my life I have come to understand the patchy nature of America's safety net. It is my belief from personal experience that a lot of good could be done by sewing together the various patches of help into a single larger quilt. What we need is Google for charitable help. It would be rather simple to do.

1. Charities would register an entry in a database run by a non-profit, one to be updated frequently with specifics about the kind of help provided by the charity. A homeless shelter, for example, would list how many beds it had available in the database.

2. The entries would be searchable by the public from a Google like engine. Perhaps even Google itself would be interested in helping provide the services herein listed.

3. Alternatively, a person in need of help could call 1-800-ONE-HELP and have someone direct them to the appropriate help via searching the database on their behalf.

4. A PR campaign would begin to advertise the number, so that when people get in trouble in life and need help, they know who to call.

The goal of providing these three services would be to provide a well known brand name for the many small charities out there doing good work in our communities nationwide.

I'm pretty much no one in the world, I don't have much in the way of resources myself, but this seems like a good idea. Something that's really needed right now in this nation.

[sandnsea]

1. There's 211

http://www.211.org/

Some cities don't have 211 yet, but there is usually a local number under First Call For Help that coordinates all the local services.

The problem is getting all the local people to get their information into the system. Many are just too over-worked to have the time for outreach.

[pinto]

2. We have a service locally similar to what you mention. Hotline. Comprehensive data base of area

resources, updated annually, via a simple toll free phone call. Local non-profit enterprise. Not sure if they have developed a web-based access point, but it's a good idea.

I'm leery of a national type resource data base, though. Those I've seen are woefully out of date. Could be done though, given some neutral financial backing and some regular updating / oversight.

[MercutioATC]

3. So, a labor-intensive NEW program to give people info they already have access to?

I understand what you're attempting, but I don't see the practicality of it.