In honor of 211 Day, United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County has released a new report highlighting the most-requested areas of need among community members who called the 211 Helpline in 2025. The report also identifies areas that need support from lawmakers across the state to better assist the community.
What is 211? The 211 Helpline is a free and confidential social service hotline that connects individuals to vital community resources, including support for housing, food, health care and more.
“211 decreases confusion and delays and assists people in navigating complex systems,” said Liza Cepeda, Director of the 211 Operations for United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. “For many callers, that first call into 211 is their first step toward stability and self-sufficiency.”
To raise awareness of 211’s impact and the additional work that can be done to help residents, United Way hosted elected officials to showcase the report’s findings. Lawmakers were presented with details on the most frequently requested needs by the communities they represent. This event featured representatives from the offices of U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro, U.S. Congressman Greg Casar and U.S. Senator John Cornyn.
The top 10 most-requested needs from 211 callers in San Antonio in 2025 were as follows, with the top three accounting for 71% of all requests.
- Utility Assistance
- Housing / Shelter
- Food / Meals
- Health Care
- Individual, Family and Community Support
- Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders
- Clothing / Personal / Household Needs
- Legal, Consumer and Public Safety Services
- Income Support / Assistance
- Transportation
This full report details the community’s most requested needs and highlights any unaddressed issues that require extra resources to meet public demand.
The 211 Helpline uses a database of over 700 local nonprofits, churches and government programs to assist callers in the Alamo region. It connects callers to over 2,300 services plus some national and statewide options.
211 is always free to call, available 24/7/365, including holidays. It is completely anonymous, and Spanish language assistance is available as well. Trained and certified call specialists are waiting to help callers find the resources they need to achieve and maintain stability.
