Link of the Week: June 17 - 23
2 - 1 - 1
You’ve heard of 9-1-1, and you probably call 4-1-1 for directory information, but have you tried 2-1-1 yet—either on the phone or Internet? If you don’t know where to turn for help, either for yourself or a friend, 2-1-1 is the 24-hour service to call first. As its national website explains, 2-1-1 is “the national abbreviated dialing code for free access to health and human services information and referral.” More and more areas are offering this free service, including United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County (UWABC). Visit UWABC’s site at http://www.211wnc.org/ to search for resources anywhere in the region, and beyond. But this resource is only as good as the agencies it lists. If you are affiliated with a local nonprofit or public service organization, you can visit the WNC 2-1-1-site and see if your agency’s information is listed and up-to-date.

Media Forum Follow-Up
We have now posted the handouts that were distributed by journalists at our recent media forum. Journalist contact information is now posted also, if you want to follow up with any of the people you met at the forum (or if you live in the Asheville area and want to see what you missed!).

Link/Article of the Week Archives
For your convenience, we've begun archiving past weeks' featured links and articles.

The Missing Link
Have any suggestions for us regarding next week’s link? Or is there information you seek, but you can’t find a helpful link? Let us know! If others would benefit from the information, we just may track down a link for you, or use your suggestion as Link of the Week.

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Welcome to FIRE, a non-profit organization which provides community media resources to the Appalachian region. You can use the search box on this page to search our online archive of media outlets throughout the area. If you are a local journalist (or want to be), visit the "Resources for Journalists" section. You'll find resources that will improve your community reporting skills and will enable area residents to easily locate your published articles online.

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