Everyone knows you dial 911 in an emergency and 411 to get phone numbers. But in Los Angeles and many other counties across the nation, residents can dial 211 for help with basic needs like food and shelter.

In the past few months the number of those calls has gone up dramatically, especially from families facing foreclosure or eviction.

[Read](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98460153&ft=1&f=1001 “Read the Article”) (NPR)