Community Access Line of the Lakeshore

What Community Access Line of the Lakeshore does

Community Access Line of the Lakeshore (C.A.L.L.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Muskegon, Michigan. It operates as the designated 211 information and referral service for seven counties in Michigan (Charlevoix, Emmet, Manistee, Missaukee, Muskegon, Ottawa, Wexford), with senior-focused programming covering Muskegon, Oceana, and Ottawa counties. The organization connects residents with health and human services — housing, utilities, food, childcare, job loss support, health care, older adult services, mental health support, and bereavement counseling — through a multi-channel platform accessible via phone (2-1-1, toll-free, local), text (898211), online chat, email, and a searchable online resource directory.

The underlying technology is a community resource database containing over 7,000 local, regional, state, and national service records, maintained daily by trained resource specialists. The organization is accredited by the National Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS), and its chat infrastructure runs on the inContact platform with sessions recorded for quality assurance. Service is offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with phone-based translation supporting over 240 languages. The product portfolio comprises the core 211 Information and Referral Service, the Information and Assistance Program (senior navigation), the Phone Pal telephone reassurance program (sub-brand for isolated older adults), and the Community Resource Directory.

The business model is that of a grant- and donation-funded nonprofit. All core services are provided free of charge to residents. Revenue streams include federal funding through the Older Americans Act, state funding via The Aging and Adult Services Agency, local funding from Senior Resources of West Michigan, Michigan Public Service Commission designation-related support, individual and corporate donations, employer matching programs, and planned giving/bequests. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on direct community connections, partner agency referrals, bilingual marketing materials, events and fairs, and an active social media presence across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Leadership comprises Director Stacey Gomez and Resource Manager Sara Johnson, with governance by a cross-sector board of directors.

Name

Community Access Line of the Lakeshore

Legal name

Community Access Line of the Lakeshore, Inc.

Website

https://call-211.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Access Line of the Lakeshore is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the designated 211 information and referral service across eight Michigan counties, connecting residents with health and human services via phone, text, chat, email, and an online directory of 7,000+ resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Information and Referral Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Resources, Social Services & Transportation Coordination (HLADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

Keywords

• Community information referral
• Health human services
• Senior assistance programs
• Nonprofit social services
• Community resource directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Muskegon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Funded in part through the Older Americans Act, The Aging and Adult Services Agency, and Senior Resources of West Michigan for senior-focused programs including Information and Assistance and Phone Pal services.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Financial support from individual donors, corporate sponsors, agency and organization sponsorships, employer donation matching programs, and planned giving/bequests.
3. Michigan Public Service Commission Designation: Designated by the Michigan Public Service Commission as the 211 Assistance Center for seven counties, providing official community information and referral services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Access Line of the Lakeshore operates the 211 Information and Referral Service, a free, confidential, 24/7/365 community resource line connecting residents across seven Michigan counties with health and human services such as housing, utilities, food, childcare, employment, healthcare, mental health, and older adult services. The service is delivered via phone, text, online chat, email, and a searchable online resource database of 7,000+ local, regional, state, and national services, supplemented by specialized senior Information & Assistance programming and the Phone Pal telephone reassurance program.

Product overview

Community Access Line of the Lakeshore operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a unified portfolio of health and human services access programs centered around the 211 Information and Referral Service. The core offering is the 211 service, a 24/7/365 phone, text, chat, and email information and referral system that connects residents with community resources. Supporting this core service are two specialized modules: the Information and Assistance Program providing senior-focused navigation support available around the clock, and the Phone Pal Program offering telephone reassurance and social connection for isolated seniors. All services are backed by the Community Resource Directory, a comprehensive online database of over 7,000 local, regional, state, and national services that serves as the foundation of the 211 service. The organization serves Charlevoix, Emmet, Manistee, Missaukee, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Wexford counties in Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Phone Pal: A telephone reassurance program providing emotional support, friendly safety and wellness checks for older adults living alone or homebound, and peace of mind for families and caregivers. Available for adults 18 and older in Muskegon, Oceana, and Ottawa counties.

Products and services

• 211 Information and Referral Service A free, confidential, 24/7/365 phone, text, chat, and email information and referral service connecting residents across seven Michigan counties with local health and human services resources for housing, utilities, food, childcare, job loss, health care, mental health, bereavement, older adult services, and social isolation support. Available in 240+ languages via phone translation and supported by a daily-maintained database of 7,000+ services.
• Senior Information and Assistance Program A free, 24/7 senior-focused information and assistance service staffed by specially trained individuals who help seniors, family caregivers, and persons living with disabilities understand and navigate programs and services such as housing, utility assistance, food, transportation, home rehabilitation, legal assistance, caregiver resources, respite services, long-term care options, government benefits, veterans benefits, Medicare counseling, and mental health resources. Includes follow-up to ensure needs were met.
• Phone Pal Program A free telephone reassurance and emotional support program for older adults living alone, individuals with chronic health conditions, and any adult 18+ who could benefit from social connection. Provides regularly scheduled friendly safety and wellness checks to reduce loneliness and isolation while offering peace of mind to families and caregivers.
• Community Resource Directory A self-service searchable online directory at directory.mi211.org containing 7,000+ local services as well as regional, state, and national health and human service resources. Continually maintained and verified daily by trained resource specialists to ensure accuracy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 8 counties in Michigan with 7,000+ services in the resource database

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United WaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerC.A.L.L. 211 operates in partnership with United Way, with United Way branding appearing alongside 211 service branding. United Way is a key stakeholder in the 211 ecosystem, providing collaborative support for health and human services information and referral.
• National Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerC.A.L.L. 211 is accredited by AIRS, which establishes information and referral standards. AIRS is a professional association with over 900 nonprofit and government organizations that sets performance and quality standards, provides professional certification, and offers educational and networking opportunities.
• Michigan Public Service CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated by the Michigan Public Service Commission as the official 211 Assistance Center for Charlevoix, Emmet, Manistee, Missaukee, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Wexford counties.
• Michigan 211 and State GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerC.A.L.L. partners with Michigan 211 and state government to help create greater efficiencies in the delivery of health and human services across the state.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization that historically incubated and continues to coordinate 211 services across the U.S. C.A.L.L.'s United Way co-branding and partnership put it inside this broader network, making United Way the broad-incumbent peer in the same I&R category.

Direct peers

• 2-1-1 San Diego: Large regional 211 service operating the same model (24/7 multilingual I&R across an assigned California service area) with health and human services focus, AIRS-equivalent standards, and a wide partner network. Closest large-scale analog of C.A.L.L.'s operating model.
• 211 LA County: Major metropolitan 211 service delivering 24/7 multilingual I&R across Los Angeles County with health, housing, and human services focus. Operationally similar to C.A.L.L. across channels, languages, and partner-funded model, just at substantially larger scale.
• Eldercare Locator (U.S. Administration for Community Living): Federally funded national I&R service connecting older adults and caregivers to local aging services. Directly comparable to C.A.L.L.'s senior-focused Information & Assistance and Phone Pal programs, and the federal counterpart for the same caregiver and senior navigation use cases.
• Michigan 211: Statewide 211 information and referral network that C.A.L.L. partners with directly. Operates the mi211.org directory platform that C.A.L.L. uses to publish its local resources, and is the coordinating body for 211 services across Michigan, making it the most directly comparable operational peer.
• 211 of Northwest Michigan / 211 Northeast Michigan: Other regional 211 operators in Michigan that provide the same FCC-designated 211 community information and referral service, similar multi-channel access (phone, text, online), and AIRS-aligned database operations. Direct operational comparability to C.A.L.L. as a fellow Michigan 211 center.

Emerging players

• Findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha): Digital-first social services search and referral platform used by health systems, insurers, and government agencies. Competes with C.A.L.L. for the same referral and I&R function via a different (self-service, app/web) delivery model, representing the primary disruptive peer in the I&R category.

Others

• Benefits.gov: Federal government benefits portal providing self-service screening and referral to state/federal assistance programs. Adjacent rather than direct competitor to C.A.L.L.'s I&R function, but increasingly substitutes for parts of the in-person 211 referral workflow.
• Senior Resources of West Michigan: Regional senior services funder and provider that supplies grant funding to C.A.L.L.'s senior programs in Muskegon, Oceana, and Ottawa counties. Comparable in target population and service area, and a key ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan: Regional Area Agency on Aging overlapping the C.A.L.L. service area, providing senior information, caregiver support, and aging services. Comparable in target population and mission, and an actual funding/coordination partner for C.A.L.L.'s senior programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CALL211
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-access-line-of-the-lakeshore
• Instagraminstagram.com/c.a.l.l.211

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Access Line of the Lakeshore