“Our mission is linking people and resources,” says Barbara Bernstein, Executive Director of Eden I&R, which is a centralized source for health, housing, and human services information in Alameda County.

Marking its 35th year in the community, Eden I&R offers services that are the result of collaborations with hundreds of community-based organizations. The Hayward-based non-profit organization has become a critical resource for thousands of at-risk individuals, such as youth, non-English speakers, the economically disadvantaged, people living with HIV/AIDS, domestic violence victims, the elderly, disabled, and the homeless.

The organization´s biggest program is the 2-1-1 phone service. “We saw a need for a 24-hour, 7 days a week telephone number in multiple languages,” says Bernstein, who notes that the 2-1-1 system is handling more than 100,000 calls per year to help people with information about rental assistance, shelter, food and food stamps, and job searches.

In the current economy, Bernstein says she is seeing an increase in housing-related needs such as people needing help paying utilities or with rental or moving assistance. Calls related to domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse have also increased, which she attributes to the poor economy. Bernstein expects that these needs are increasing for Hispanics as they are for all groups in the community.

Edith, 29, is originally from Mexico and now lives in Hayward with her husband and two daughters. She called the 2-1-1 service because she wanted to know where she could buy a low cost computer and low cost internet service.

When asked about the people Eden I&R serves, Bernstein says, “We are not government - we are a non-profit organization. We don’t care about peoples´ status - we help everyone.”

The organization is also known for the Big Blue Book, an annual printed directory of health and human services. It is also available online at www.alamedaco.info.