Sonoma Valley Street Outreach Team

SONOMA, CA - HomeFirst and SAVS (Sonoma Applied Village Services) are pleased to announce a groundbreaking partnership to bring Sonoma Valley its first dedicated street outreach program for individuals experiencing homelessness. The Sonoma Valley Street Outreach Team connects the most vulnerable in the region with vital housing and social services, filling a longstanding service gap in the region. The two-person team of Sam and Jeri, composed of one outreach worker from HomeFirst and one from SAVS, serves the East County - Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Sonoma Springs, and the City of Sonoma. The initiative is funded by the Sonoma County Homeless Coalition. 

 

A recent report published by the County of Sonoma’s Department of Health Services found that Sonoma Valley was the only Sonoma County subregion (which includes Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, South County, West County, North County, and Sonoma Valley) that lacked a street outreach team. The county funded this outreach program to fill this under-resourced area.  

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The region’s geographic isolation makes it harder for the unhoused community to access essential services, making outreach an urgent need. For example, an unhoused person in Sonoma Valley needing a state ID (a necessary document for obtaining housing) must currently travel to Santa Rosa to get one. For an unhoused person without access to a vehicle this task can be impossible. An engaged outreach worker can assist with transportation, offer additional support, and turn an impossibility into a success.  

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The Sonoma Valley Street Outreach Team aims to serve 65 individuals over the course of a year, with each team member serving 18-20 people at a time. The team will attempt to resolve housing challenges for this group by removing barriers and solving practical problems. For instance, they will help with benefit and housing applications, offer connection to legal services, and problem-solve daily issues. The new East County Services Center will be a resource in this effort, offering a convenient, central location to meet with clients. The outreach team has also allocated 3 hours a week to general outreach to support individuals outside of their caseload and address community concerns.   

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Anyone in Sonoma Valley who is unhoused and seeking services can access the Sonoma Valley Street Outreach Team by calling: 707-277-1407  

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Through this outreach team, HomeFirst and SAVS are laying the groundwork for lasting change in Sonoma Valley. Together the organizations hope to reduce homelessness and improve the quality of life for everyone in the community.  

  

HomeFirst:  

HomeFirst is a nonprofit organization passionately working to end homelessness. We serve the Bay Area community through low-barrier programming (prevention, outreach, shelters, and interim and permanent housing programs) and systems leadership – meeting each person where they are, by offering support and resources that address immediate and long-term housing needs.   

   

SAVS (Sonoma Applied Village Services):  

SAVS is a non-profit homeless service agency that brings a seasoned outreach team and four years of work with chronically homeless people in Sonoma County. SAVS believes in affordable, dignified shelter for all human beings. They work relentlessly to lower the cost of providing shelter while helping homeless persons gain stability and move forward to permanent housing.