WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Many of us have faced a substantial amount of stress in recent weeks from the coronavirus pandemic, and calls to the 211 Helpline have seen a big increase.
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211 is a community help and crisis hotline that provides a variety of services including: suicide prevention, crisis intervention, information, assessment and referral to community services for people of all ages.
Officials with 211 said they have seen double, sometimes triple, the number of calls each day from members of the public seeking assistance.
“At noon we had already gotten about 240 calls, so about halfway through the day we already received the same amount of calls we would have seen in a full day last year,” said Sharon L’Herrou, president and CEO of 211.
The hotline is receiving about 700 calls per day. Normally, it is around 200 to 250. They said they have added additional staffing and many employees are working from home to continue to provide services to the public.
Officials with 211 said people are scared and confused with the high level of stress right now, worrying about the virus and compounded by layoffs and loss of income.
"They are worried about what to do to protect themselves," L'Herrou said. "A lot of people have also already been laid off, people are worried about how they will find a new job in this kind of environment and people are worried about how they are going to pay the rent."
Palm Beach County state attorney Dave Aronberg said the sheriff’s office will not enforce any eviction orders, and the Florida Supreme Court has put a moratorium on eviction hearings.
“So, people out there that are very stressed, very anxious about losing their home, they will get a reprieve because they’re not going to be forcibly evicted from their home by law enforcement,” said Aronberg.
The 211 hotline serves Palm Beach, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties.
“Our staff is your neighbors and we care a lot about what’s going on with everyone and if you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed please don’t hesitate to reach out to us,” L'Herrou said.
