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Astorino is asking residents to tell, email, post or Tweet someone to tell them "that vital health and human services assistance is just a call or click away through 2-1-1." Astorino is encouraging high school students to submit a written or video public service announcement for the United Way’s PSA Challenge, “Voices for 2-1-1.” The contest aims to increase awareness of United Way’s 2-1-1 helpline while offering teens the opportunity to further develop their skills and to learn about careers in communications and media.
Launched in 2005, United Way’s 2-1-1 is a "free, confidential, multilingual helpline that provides millions of people each year with health and human services information, referrals, crisis support and disaster recovery information."
Contest winners will have their PSA publicized by the campaign’s media sponsor, WHUD, and other media outlets. Communications professionals from across the region will serve as judges and also as featured presenters at “careers in communications day” at participating high schools.
Official contest sponsors include WHUD, the Office of the Westchester County Executive, and The Volunteer Center of United Way.
“The United Way’s 2-1-1 is a vital resource in a number of ways,” Astorino said. “It’s a great source of information, it reduces non-emergency calls to 911, and it saves taxpayer money. The PSA contest is a great way to publicize 2-1-1 while also teaching our students valuable communications skills. I can’t wait to see what our students come up with.”
Applications for the contest are available at the United Way website.
In Westchester and Putnam, at least one United Way “Voices for 2-1-1” winner per category (written PSA and video PSA) will be chosen by a panel of judges representing media, government, nonprofit and communications.
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