Mention “frontline workers,” and you probably think about doctors and nurses, first responders, grocery store workers, and delivery staff. Yet there’s another crucial role to keep in mind: the call center staff at Gryphon Place 2-1-1.

Maricela Alcala, CEO of Gryphon Place, said the team has been fielding calls from home since Michigan’s stay-at-home order went into effect. That’s not always easy, she added.

“When our call center staff are in our office, they are able to rely and lean on each other for support,” Alcala explained. “Our call center staff members do stay connected via technology, but it isn’t the same as having their co-workers next to them in the office. They are all working hard and are looking forward to the day they can sit in the same room safely.”

That’s not to say the 2-1-1 team is any less effective, though. From March 5 through May 18, Gryphon Place received more than 13,000 2-1-1 calls. Around 30% were tracked as COVID-19 related, although that number is probably higher because not all callers make the distinction.

Alcala said the top three needs have been food pantries, rent payment assistance, and disease and disability assistance. “These needs have remained relatively consistent,” she added. “Food pantries have always been one of our top needs, and that hasn’t changed, it has only increased during the pandemic.”

According to Alcala, many callers are frightened and even angry when they first dial 2-1-1.

“A lot of people are struggling with making ends meet right now, and when they call 2-1-1, they are looking for immediate help,” she said. “While callers tend to start out frustrated, and sometimes a bit flustered, calls tend to end with callers feeling grateful and hopeful toward the end of the call.”

Help and hope are what 2-1-1 is all about. Gryphon Place is part of the Kalamazoo County Response Consortium and Battle Creek Response Consortium, each of which meets weekly to discuss changes and needs in those communities.

“We do our best and work with the callers to determine their needs and help find programs and services they may be eligible for. That is why we work so closely with our community partners, to ensure that needs are being met,” Alcala said.

United Way provides crucial funding to Gryphon Place, which in turn helps make sure that people in need get connected to resources to help them. That’s been especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alcala said. “Gryphon Place is a listening ear and a connector to resources 24/7.”

To learn how 2-1-1 call centers are responding to the crisis statewide, explore the Michigan 2-1-1 dashboard below or at tinyurl.com/rz8m7vd. Learn more about Gryphon Place at their website, www.gryphon.org.