“I don’t know how to ride a bike. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but it’s true,” a recent 211 website visitor admitted with a laugh. Amy went on to explain that her daughter has a school bike function coming up, and the kids who don’t know how to ride will be sent to practice “circles'' on a small basketball court. “She has motion sickness and I can imagine her riding in circles and falling over or throwing up,” Amy said. So, she went to auw211.org to see if there were any resources available to teach her daughter how to ride a bike before the “day of circles” arrived.
She found exactly what she needed. Hawaii Bicycling League information was available through a simple search on the 211 website and after making a call, she learned that not only could her daughter learn to ride, but she can too. “I had a bad fall as a kid and never got back on a bike after that. I’m looking forward to doing it now.” Not only does the program make it possible to learn, the organization provides all of the equipment too.
There are more than 4,000 programs in the 211 database, but if you don’t feel like sorting through it all, the best thing to do is call, text or chat. AUW’s 211 Specialists are exactly that, specialists. Through a few simple questions and some candid answers, you can get exactly what you need and sometimes more. 211 offers more than food, shelter, or assistance after a disaster - the service connects local people with thousands of community resources that would otherwise be difficult to locate.