'I felt betrayed': United Way CEO says investigation triggered major changes to 211 helpline

ORLANDO, Fla. — An average of 8,000 Central Florida residents call the Heart of Florida United Way's 211 helpline each month.

The helpline connects people with services, including food stamps, childcare and domestic violence shelters.

Orange County resident Judimar Pesante said she often called 211 to find help for her neighbors, but she gave up on the helpline.

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"They're not really professional," she said. "Sometimes, they don't have people (who) speak Spanish."

Her complaint was among dozens received by Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe, who said she called 211 herself to test the system. She said she was put on hold for more than 30 minutes.

"I was given incorrect information, so we need to, as a county, make sure we're all on the same page," she said.

Uribe said that when she asked that a review be conducted of the helpline, she learned that one had already been done last fall.

Jeff Hayward, the nonprofit's CEO, said a manager resigned last summer, raising red flags.

A subsequent investigation determined that 45 percent of phone calls made to 211 went unanswered.

Hayward said the center director was manipulating the call-in queue to cover up complaints.

"It was a betrayal to me, a betrayal to everyone who called, and I feel a responsibly," he said. "It was a betrayal to our community."

Hayward said the center had a revolving door that left less experienced operators answering calls.

"You look at the staffing -- with a 52 percent turnover rate, we were always short-handed," he said.

The organization has made changes to include a higher pay structure and incentives, Hayward said.

"Our goal was to fix it and fix it fast, and we did," he said.

Hayward said the average wait time is now 45 seconds, and a new center director was hired earlier this week.

"(Community members) put a lot of faith and trust in us, and for a moment there, we let them down," he said. "We're committed to the community and committed to making sure this works right and it works for them."

Other changes include a backup call center to help during peak call periods and a new phone system that records calls and wait times and produces reports for senior staff members to review.

The organization said it costs more than $2 million annually to provide the service and run the center.

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