After fielding more than 6,300 calls in its first year, United Way of Southern Kentucky is expanding its 2-1-1 information hotline to a 24-hour service available every day of the year.

Debbie Hills, the organization’s president and chief executive officer, said the 2-1-1 program allows callers to get information on their own time with no headaches.

“They don’t have to deal with the frustration of not knowing where to go or not having their needs met,” Hills said.

Through the 2-1-1 Contact Center, callers can get information about supplemental food and nutrition programs, shelter and housing options, utility assistance, emergency and disaster relief, employment opportunities, help with addiction and several other topics. The program is officially becoming a 24-hour service Tuesday, which is also its one-year anniversary.

“It’s providing information in a very succinct and easy-to-access way,” Hills said.

To extend the service to nights, weekends and holidays, the center contracted with the Heart of Florida United Way. Previously, the center provided information from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Requests for help in paying utility bills are among the most frequent calls the center receives, according to Chris Dressler, the center’s director.

“They just don’t have the money to pay them,” she said.

Other frequent information requests pertain to paying rent, accessing food pantries and help with finding housing and emergency shelter, Hills said.

Hills doesn’t see the nature of the calls changing, although the call volume will probably decrease outside regular business hours.

“People are going to be calling about the same type of things,” she said.

There are more than 1,400 services in southcentral Kentucky 2-1-1’s database, including information on eligibility, required documentation, hours of operation, location and contact information.

For Hills, the service is especially vital to callers in a “crisis mode” confronting a late rent payment or job loss.

Dressler agreed, describing the service as a “one-stop place to contact and find out what resources are available.”

Dressler sees the extended hours as especially helpful for people who don’t work during the day.

“You’ve got people who work second and third shifts, so they need to be able to call on their off time,” she said.

As the center aims to boost the number of callers it assists this year, it’s also planning to expand its services via text message and web chat starting early next year.

That move will advance the program’s goal, Hills said, meeting people where they are with helpful information to improve their lives.

– Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.