IMPACT 211’s 2025 annual report showed over 300,000 contacts, the highest in the group’s history. The total even surpasses the volume experienced during the COVID-19 crisis.
Contacts include 168,821 calls, texts and chats, along with more than 136,000 engagements through 211’s online resource directory, mobile app and after-hours coverage across Wisconsin.
All contacts reflect people trying to connect with resources.
For many residents across Milwaukee County, dialing 211, the state’s help hotline for services ranging from housing to food assistance to substance use and other support, has become a familiar first step when facing hardship.
After years of serving as the region’s front door to health and human services, IMPACT, which runs the 211 hotline, has become such a trusted resource that community members depend on it.
“I think we’ve just established ourselves in this community now for so long that everybody just expects that we’re here and we’re going to take the calls,” said Vickie Boneck, marketing and communications director at IMPACT. “It’s going to be a reflection of what’s going on in the community.”
One of those to reach out through 211 was Maggie A., who chose to keep her last name anonymous due to fear of stigma. She said after several attempts last year she was able to receive help from a service referred by staff.
“Last year, I called 211 and said I needed to detox from alcohol,” Maggie said. “They got me an Uber to First Step Detox.”
The data
The increase in need is evident in the findings of IMPACT’s 2025 report. Data shows persistent challenges around housing, food insecurity and financial hardship.
The report also sheds light on how major events can intensify existing community needs.
Following the unprecedented 2025 August flooding in Milwaukee County, some of the city’s highest-poverty neighborhoods experienced significant increases in requests for assistance.
In ZIP code 53218, nearly one-third of households reported some level of property damage. Many affected residents were already struggling before the disaster struck.
“It’s like death by a thousand cuts,” said Bob Waite, senior account manager for IMPACT. “You just keep piling on, piling on, piling on. A lot of these folks were already living on the margins, and then you throw something like this in. It takes a long time to recover.”
Recovery is rarely as simple as replacing damaged belongings. Families often face ongoing challenges, from incomplete insurance coverage to long-term health concerns caused by damaged homes.
“If you’re living in a home that’s got mold, what does that mean?” Waite said. “It’s just all sorts of different factors that affect the community as a whole.”
Challenges
Maggie A. said while she did receive help by calling, many other calls went unanswered or with no helpful answers.
“Prior to that call, I called numerous times and only got help once,” she said. “They refer you to places not accepting people or not open at the time you call. Many times, I waited quite a long time to be connected with someone and not receive as much help as I needed.”
IMPACT staff say that long wait times and a lack of resources reflect a bigger issue.
“IMPACT 211 is often the first call people make when they’re facing a housing crisis, but we can only connect individuals to resources that exist and are available,” Boneck said.
She said the frustration expressed by callers reflects a larger community challenge.
“The demand for housing assistance continues to exceed the resources available to meet that need. While that’s difficult for callers and our staff alike, those conversations provide important insight into where the greatest service gaps exist and where additional community investment is needed,” Boneck said.
What happens with findings
While the annual report often generates public and media attention, IMPACT staffers said its greatest value may lie in how it informs decision-makers throughout the year. IMPACT regularly provides customized reports to hospital systems, county governments, elected officials and community organizations.
The organization’s leaders say that doesn’t happen as much as it should, though.
They say new policies and procedural changes are expected to shift some service trends, particularly around mental health crisis calls. Still, overall demand remains remarkably steady.
The numbers show how many households remain one crisis away from needing help.
“Volume is very, very similar this year compared to last year,” Waite said.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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