In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Way Thompson-Nicola-Cariboo wants to remind people about a resource for people in crisis looking for help.

Interim Executive Director Katie Neustaeter says BC 211 is a free, text only service that will connect you to things like legal advice, or advice if you have lost your job.

“People struggling with needing counselling or mental health support as they deal with the anxiety of this,” she said on NL Newsday. “You put 211 into your texting box, and you send your questions. And they can direct you right to the resource that can deal with that.”

She’s reminding people having a medical emergency to still call 911.

“211 is not 911. If you have a medical crisis, you know anything you would normally contact 911 for, continue doing that,” she said. “So this is really over the next few days, I need to know how to proceed with this questions, that’s kind of what this vein is for.”

Neustaeter adds BC 211 was put in place after the 2017 wildfires. She says there’s already been a lot of offers of help out there in the Kamloops community.

“At United Way, we aren’t front line workers, but we are able to put things in place so that people have a connection to the resources that they need,” she noted.