Good Morning!

I am Susan Buza, Executive Director of 211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast.
Our private non-profit agency has provided information and referral
services to Palm Beach County residents since 1971, over 34 years.

In 1993 our agency responded to an RFP released by the Area Agency on
Aging for Palm Beach/Treasure Coast. We proposed that our agency would
provide information and referral to elders and the proposal was
approved. As a result, effective January 1, 1994, we began a very
positive, productive relationship with the Area Agency on Aging to
provide our residents, age sixty and older, with quality, comprehensive
information, referral and assistance services on a 24 hr/ day, 7
day/week basis.

In 2003, based on the Area Agency on Aging's approval, our agency's
service area expanded to cover the entire Planning and Service Area of
Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties. The
intent being to provide consistent access to services throughout.

As many of you know, in 2000, the Federal Communications Commission
designated the three digit number 2-1-1 as the dialing code to be
utilized nationwide for individuals to use to obtain information and
referrals on heath & human services. Our agency received this
designation which means that elders throughout our five county PSA can
access services by dialing this easy to remember number, 2-1-1.

In 2004, 211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast responded to over 119,000 calls,
and 31% or 37,000 were from individuals age sixty and over. These calls
are from elders needing assistance obtaining low cost medications,
needing home delivered meals, needing direction on how to deal with
their grandchildren or how to assist a spouse who has declining health
-- a myriad of issues.

The association between the Area Agency on Aging and 2-1-1 has been
extremely positive. It has meant that senior citizens have access to:

-   Information & referral 24 hrs per day, 7 days per week.

-   access to information on over 5,000 programs and 1,700 agencies.

-   access to information via the telephone, the internet or through a
    free directory, called the Senior Guide:

-   access to trained telephone specialists who are empathetic,
    knowledgeable and sensitive to the needs faced by our elders; and

-   access to a quality service that is accredited by the national
    information and referral accrediting organization, AIRS, and by the
    national crisis intervention organization, the American Association
    of Suicidology.

Finally, the benefit to the Area Agency on Aging is that it receives
comprehensive monthly, quarterly and annual reports that represent the
work of 211, the needs expressed by elders contacting 211, the status of
referrals, and information on how responsive the system of services is.

Further, the Area Agency on Aging's investment in 2-1-1 is a prudent
investment of limited dollars because there is a multiplier. For
\$200,000, the Area Agency on Aging and the elders who call 2-1-1
receive a service worth over 1 million dollars and the increased
capacity that brings.

In closing I want to highlight a very visible manifestation of the Area
Agency on Aging/2-1-1 working relationship. Last year our 5 county area
experienced back to back hurricanes. Our 2-1-1 staff were co-located at
the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center, and as calls from
distressed elders came into the EOC, 2-1-1 staff \-- with their ability
to de-escalate crisis situations and relate to elders \-- were asked to
respond to elders who needed much more than information. Elders were
isolated, with no medication, no food and/or no electricity. 2-1-1 staff
assessed the needs, and because there were so many elders in distress,
the Area Agency on Aging staff supported the direct service staff by
literally going to the elders' homes, delivering MRE's (Meals Ready to
Eat) and providing one-on-one human contact. Area Agency on Aging staff
and administration were clearly willing to work "outside the box"

We appreciate this particular Area Agency's willingness to contract with
2-1-1 and partner with us to provide elders with quality comprehensive
information and referral assistance. We hope that with the establishment
of ARC's throughout the state and nation, this positive, established
model can and will be replicated with 2-1-1's in Florida and throughout
the United States.

Thank you