photo credit: Sonoma County Health Services Department
Open Doors Sonoma County's new mobile service van.

Service that comes to you.

That's the goal of Sonoma County's new Open Doors mobile vans.

Sonoma County's main government offices are naturally concentrated in Santa Rosa, the seat of county government, but for poor and working class residents in other parts of the county, taking hours out of the day during the work week to actually access government services - like food and healthcare support - can be a serious challenge.

That's where Sonoma County's newest service comes in, said Supervisor James Gore, who praised Sonoma County's new Open Doors mobile vans Tuesday.

"We've invested in service centers and regional hubs and other things like that, but there's nothing like getting in to community and being real," Gore said.

The two 24-foot vans are converted to bring Sonoma County staff and services to residents across the county.

The customized vans, outfitted with satellite internet and private meeting areas, are meant to help connect residents with services like applying for Cal Fresh or MediCal; opening and managing child support cases; or printing new or replacement EBT cards.

The new mobile service vans are part of the broader Open Doors initiative, that's a kind of centralized hub to help connect local residents with services for housing, health care, food assistance, employment and other essential needs.

Sonoma County already has satellite offices in Petaluma, Guerneville, and Sonoma to help residents in west, east, and south more easily access government offices.

The new Open Doors vans plan to partner with and park at Alexander Valley Healthcare, La Familia Sana, Calvary Chapel River Fellowship and Corazón Healdsburg.

County staffer Angela Struckmann said the website, OpenDoorsSC.com links to things like the vans' schedule, "so you can go on there and it'll show where the vans will be located and what services are being provided at each site and during each visit. Along with some frequently asked questions and other important information." 

Mobile service days start April 21st in Cloverdale, May 5th in Windsor and May 12th in Healdsburg.