18,581 calls to 211 center

In its first year of operation, the Eastern Washington 211 call center fielded 18,581 calls requesting information about services and assistance.

About 90 percent of the calls came from the city of Spokane, with most callers seeking information about utilities, rent, affordable housing and mental health services, a call center news release said.

The call center is operated by Spokane Mental Health and is supported by Spokane County United Way. It serves callers from Spokane, Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties by connecting them to referral specialists who can help find the community resources they need.

The Eastern Washington 211 database holds information related to 650 agencies that provide more than 2,000 programs, the release said. It is one of eight call centers integrated into a statewide system.