When Dalia Zamora was deployed in November to assist families on the Southern Ute Reservation in Southwest Colorado, she discovered areas without critical resources, like consistent power, running water and internet. Dalia wondered how she could access the nearly 7,000 resources in the 211 Colorado database.

Then, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff member brought out a silver suitcase. Suddenly, Dalia’s ability to serve families near the New Mexico state line was superpowered.

“I thought it looked like something from NASA,” Dalia said with a laugh. “But it was a Starlink system so we could use the internet and help people. I’d never seen something like that, but it felt very special.”

Every day, Mile High United Way’s 211 Help Center staff connect Coloradans to the resources they need most, such as food, housing and more. In recent years, that support has evolved to serving people in person in their community, especially when disaster strikes.

Dalia was one of five 211 Help Center staff who last year traveled outside Metro Denver in our new mobile 211 unit to provide in-person support following major storms and flooding. Patty Ramos and Claudia Cervantes joined Dalia in Southwest Colorado, assisting families affected by flooding in LaPlata and Archuleta counties.

“Deploying in-person to LaPlata County reinforced that 211 isn’t just a call center,” Claudia said. “I spent time listening to people’s stories, helping them find resources and offering support during some of their hardest moments. This experience reminded me why we do this work and how strong and resilient our communities are.”

Kim Christensen, 211’s senior manager of community development and partnerships, also worked alongside families affected by the storms, leading the mobile unit. This is a model we hope to bring to other communities in need across Colorado, working hand in hand with local officials and nonprofits.

“211 Colorado is there for whatever our community needs. The Southwest Colorado community was wonderful to work with, and we hope to see the same success modeled in other communities that face disaster,” Kim said.

In addition to the mobile unit deployment, we’ve increased in-person outreach in recent years across Metro Denver. Every week Rudy Morales, 211’s community crisis coordinator, travels to our community partner sites, including Warren Village, Mercy Housing and Family Tree, to provide in-person support. Last year, Rudy helped more than 1,000 community members access the services they needed most.

Our 211 Help Center also hosted its first-ever resource fair, facilitating direct connections between neighbors and service providers.

For the staff who traveled with the mobile unit, the opportunity to meet people in their homes has stayed with them months later.

“There was one woman named Kim and as she was showing us the damage on her property, she kept talking about how grateful she was for our help,” Patty said. “Helping people feel heard, helping them figure out what’s next – that’s why we show up every day and work to improve our service.”

Learn how you can support our 211 Help Center and help families meet their basic needs so they can focus on achieving their goals.