Collingwood - Alcoa Foundation announced today that it will invest US$20,000 to support 211 South Georgian Bay, making the first-ever rural 211 implementation in all of Canada. Alcoa Foundation grant was coordinated by Alcoa Wheel Products Collingwood in Ontario, Canada.

“Our community and the people who live here are important to us, and through the Alcoa Foundation, we are able to support 211 efforts locally and provide community connections,” said Ellie Chaves, AWP Collingwood plant manager. “This three-digit telephone number will provide a free service with a human voice, 24/7 in all languages, to anyone seeking non-emergency human service information, which can be a tremendous benefit to a community. Alcoa operates with the conviction that success is linked to the health and well-being of our communities, and our Alcoa communities have always been the focus of Alcoa Foundation giving.”The telephone number 211 offers a single point of access to individuals, families, people facing barriers because of language, poverty or personal difficulty, as well as professionals in government, business or community agencies. The 211 Call Centre at Community Connection, Collingwood, will serve more than one million persons over the three-year implementation plan to Central East Ontario, an area that covers a service area encompassing 10 counties and districts. The five other 211 Call Centres in operation in Canada are located in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and the Niagara region.

People living in South Georgian Bay communities have thousands of social and community services available to them --- the provincial government alone has 400 toll free telephone numbers. But, these services are of little use to people if they do not know they exist, what they are called, how to access them, or if they would be eligible.

211 helps individuals and families navigate the maze of “goodness”. For individuals who are overwhelmed by their life situations or are experiencing barriers such as language, age, culture, abuse, physical or mental disabilities, poverty, or lack of education, not only do they need information but often guidance in how to use it.

All of us believe that early diagnosis of a disease is an enormous benefit to the patient and saves the health system significant resources.

This same analogy can be applied to information and referral services --- individuals with problems, who are connected to system supports early, will save the social and public service system significant resources.

Community Connection has a 37-year history as an industry leader in the collection, maintenance and dissemination of human service information. Community Connection has a mandate to meet community needs through immediate access to information. As the 211 Call Centre for the Central East Ontario Region, Community Connection must submit to a rigorous, multi-year Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) accreditation process and be licensed to deliver 211. A user-friendly version of the comprehensive, continually updated 211 database can also be accessed on the Internet (www.211SimcoeCounty.ca). Additional information and resources can be found at www.211.ca.

About Alcoa Foundation:
Established in 1952, Alcoa Foundation is a global resource that actively invests in improving the quality of life in more than 33 countries around the world where Alcoa operates. The Foundation's grants address global and local needs in Areas of Excellence that include: Conservation and Sustainability, Global Education and Workplace Skills, Business and Community Partnerships and Safe and Healthy Children and Families. Alcoa Foundation manages Alcoa’s ACTION and Bravo! programs which recognize the volunteer efforts of employees with grants to the organizations they serve. For more information about Alcoa Foundation, visit www.alcoa.com, under Community.

About Alcoa Wheel Products:
Alcoa Wheel Products is the leading manufacturer of forged aluminum and stylized wheels to the commercial vehicle, automotive, motorcycle and specialty markets. The business unit is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and employs more than 1,800 associates in seven locations globally.