Make One Call: First Call for Help connects people with assistance

Assistance with medical bills, medicine and transportation to medical appointments. Help with utility bills, housing and food. When you make one call to First Call for Help, they will connect you with organizations in your area who can provide assistance to you with any of these issues.

"Sometimes [people seeking assistance] are kind of at the end of their rope so to speak, and maybe they're a little overwhelmed by multiple situations. So we just try to break that down into smaller pieces and take it apart a little at a time and try to help them with what they determine to be their most pressing need," says First Call for Help Director Denise Wimp. "I want it to feel like a friendly conversation between two people."

The organization was spearheaded by the United Way of Southeast Missouri in June 1999 as a way to connect people in need in Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard, Bollinger and Perry counties with organizations and resources in their area who could provide them with help securing food, childcare, financial support and other needs. Wimp says in an average year, she opens 2,000 cases; each of those cases typically represents a family with multiple people being served by the assistance.

"This organization truly saves lives," says Elizabeth Shelton, executive director of United Way of Southeast Missouri. "They are listed as an Information and Referral service, but they provide so much more. They work with callers delivering personal case management until the problem is resolved, frequently for months on end. They know where every available resource is in our region. We have so many people needing help right now; United Way is very proud to help provide this valuable resource to our community."

When people call First Call for Help, they can expect to engage in a conversation with a social worker who wants to help them and can provide solutions for them. And it's not about merely being handed a list of food pantries to call; through asking questions, a social worker helps each caller identify solutions for root causes of problems that may be causing other struggles.

A social worker who knows the criteria people have to meet in order to qualify for assistance from each organization in the area as well as which organizations still have funds left to give away for the month streamlines the process of looking for help by connecting callers with only those organizations who can truly help, taking some of the stress off of those in need as they seek assistance for theirself and their family.

The service is for people of all ages; Wimp encourages struggling senior citizens to call and see if they qualify for financial assistance.

"I want [seniors] to feel comfortable calling and knowing that they'll be treated with some respect, and be treated fairly and be treated kindly," Wimp says.

As utilities and rental companies return back to their usual collection practices in light of COVID-19, Wimp says she believes people who have not needed to seek outside financial help may need to utilize social services as unemployment benefits dwindle and people start getting back to work. People who live just above poverty guidelines and have historically worked two jobs to make ends meet may have lost or gotten their hours cut at one of those jobs and need to seek help although they haven't had to previously. Wimp wants anyone in this situation to know First Call for Help is there to assist them in finding the resources they need to weather through the pandemic.

"This is going to be a new territory for people who've never faced being in need before. I think we're going to see it's going to impact people who have maybe never thought of themselves as being in need," Wimp says. "I just want people to know that it's okay to call. Especially now. It never hurts to ask just to see what's out there."

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If you need assistance and would like to find out how agencies in our area can help you, call First Call for Help at (573) 334-HELP (4357). With just one phone call, a social worker will happily assist you in finding the support you need.

If you’d like to give to the First Call for Help to support the work they do in our community, you can also call this number to speak with a social worker who will help you make a donation and receive a tax receipt.