Jami Chapple feels stuck.
At 54, the single mother has no income and is two months behind on rent. She's behind on her utility bills, too, and can't find work because she's busy caring for and homeschooling her 12-year-old son who is autistic and has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
“It’s so draining that there’s no way to financially produce," Chapple, who lives in Wyoming, said. "Even if you want to.”
The last time Chapple felt this stuck was around 2005. She was raising four children then and needed help finding food and clothes for her family, so she dialed the 211 helpline, a national program supported by United Way Worldwide that connects callers to local experts who can refer them to health and social service organizations in their community.
“That lady took so much time, with such patience," Chapple said of the 211 call taker. "She gave me dozens and dozens of resources.”
