WHIRE - 2021 Review

Katie Koglman • February 10, 2022

The first call for help hotline was very HOT in 2021.

We re- launched WHIRE (Wayne Holmes Information and Referral Exchange) in April, 2019. To date, we have answered 13, 016 phone calls from people in Holmes and Wayne Counties. United Way of Wayne and Holmes has a long history of serving as the first call for help in our community. The original WIRE line operated in the early 1970's as a switchboard. Years later, it turned into Info-Link and then moved the the national platform of 2-1-1. In 2019, we unsubscribed from 2-1-1 because our calls were being routed to Cleveland. Frankly, the operators were not familiar with our local community and some callers were not getting the best information and/or referral. We rerouted the phone lines, and now when you call either 2-1-1 or (330) 263-6363 you will be routed directly here to our office and one of the friendly faces at United Way of Wayne and Holmes will answer your call.

With the re-launch of WHIRE, we were able to best serve the community in times of need. In 2019, we helped the Wayne County Emergency Management with cataloging flood calls from Apple Creek. While they were out assessing the damage, we were able to take the calls and catalog the damage on paper for them. In 2020, we served as the COVID-19 Hotline. Providing respite for the Health Department by answering thousands of questions from our community. In 2021, we assisted the Wayne County Health Department, Wooster Community Hospital, Aultman Orrville Hospital and the Emergency Management Agency to serve as the Covid-19 Vaccine Hotline. In 2022, already, the WHIRE line has been utilized as the Free Tax Assistance Hotline and the Winter Storm Landon Hotline.

In late 2021, Melita Wiles, a College of Wooster student, used the WHIRE data as a special project for one of her math courses. Here is the full report.

Her findings revealed some amazing statistics about our local WHIRE line and the callers.

For example, the oldest caller was 102 years old, the busiest time for calls is Monday mornings from 9am - 12 noon and most callers are over 50 years old. If you take out the COVID-19 related calls, the majority of calls are seeking a phone number. Yes, we also act as a 4-1-1 to many. Beside, assistance with taxes housing related issues are high on the list of needs.

The WHIRE line also allows us to identify gaps in service. If we have many people needing a particular item, but don't have a local resource to assist them - that is a gap in service. One gap in service that we have identified is low-cost bug remediation.

Each month, we release a log of the calls that we have received. We call this the WHIRE BLOTTER. Explore the January 2022 WHIRE Blotter here.

If you would like WHIRE posters, business cards or more information please call us at (330) 263-6363

A special shout out to MCTV for their generous support of this community resource.

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From Grandma to Goal-Getter: My goal setting journey, part 2

By Katie Koglman • June 2, 2025

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Books and Balance: Cultivating Mental Well-being Through Reading

By Kayley Cox • May 12, 2025

Growing up, I had a complicated relationship with reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading various chapter books or series, ranging from the Arthur to The Baby Sitter’s Club to A Child Called “It” series. But once I reached middle school, many of the English classes I attended had required reading for the course, and the requirement meant reading was no longer an option, but rather it was mandatory, and to take notes, and to be tested on the material! The required reading lists often burned me out, leaving me disinterested in picking up a book for pleasure. I would go through phases of wanting to read more, but the enthusiasm was often short-lived. As an adult I have really tried to be intentional with reading. As someone who has made a New Year’s Resolution to “read more” the last 6 years, I have really tried to focus on finding what genres interest me because when I do, I do in fact “read more,” and I like it! It also makes me happy. I feel like I have more to talk about in conversations and enjoy the dialogue reading a book brings, along with the mental break it provides me from daily life. As a parent of two young children, I have really tried to make it a priority to foster a love of reading in my kids. I encourage them to choose the books we read, and to take it a step further, I have also been intentional that my children also SEE me reading. Reading books for my own enjoyment. I want them to remember that reading isn't just something we do together, but also something we can do for ourselves. It’s a form of self-care and can really help our health-our MENTAL health. Literacy plays a critical role in children's mental well-being. Research from Scholastic and the Yale Child Study Center-Scholastic Collaborative for Child & Family Resilience highlights the powerful influence of books and literacy on mental health. It shows that a love of reading can boost self-esteem, increase empathy, and mitigate anxiety and depression. Reading can introduce children to different types of people from all walks of life, and not only that, introducing children to different points of view, perspectives, ideas and ways of life. This exploration can foster creativity and imagination and innovation – traits that are needed for our community to evolve and grow. And this exploration can provide an opportunity to show that no matter your thoughts, you are not alone in them. By modeling reading, I hope to instill in my children the understanding that books, while educational tools, are also powerful allies in maintaining mental health. Our brain, just like anything else in the body, needs exercise. And we have the power to put the book down or keep turning the page. Whether it’s going to library to pick out our selections, or borrowing books through the Libby app, I challenge you to give yourself a moment of escape with a side of perspective that a good book can bring. Then, track your progress through Wayne County Public Library’s Beanstack app to follow your book journey. This action has truly helped me prioritize reading for my mental well-being while also instilling the love of reading in my children so they too can create a balance for their own mental health.