CINCINNATI — Hamilton County is rolling out a high-tech mobile support clinic to bring services directly to the people and communities most in need.

On Thursday, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners unveiled the new 513Relief Bus during a media event at Corinthian Baptist Church on Tennessee Avenue.

Funded by Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, the bus features equipment and technology to allow providers to offer an array of services ranging from health care to enrolling in relief programs online.

After the event, providers wasted little time offering a wide variety of services to the roughly 350 residents in attendance. Those gathered received health screenings, career counseling, help applying for public assistance, mental health and substance abuse referrals and information about support resources available for older adults and caregivers.

“We can’t expect them to find us,” Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas said. “We are bringing help to them. That’s important because it shifts the perception away from being just a number to face-to-face interactions that hopefully lead to meaningful support.”

Through the new bus, Hamilton County hopes to remove barriers that might keep residents from seeking help, including accessibility, transportation and technology, according to Commission President Alicia Reece.

Reece proposed the initial idea for the bus at the onset of the pandemic to provide a mobile tool to help the county limit the spread of COVID-19. Beyond offering vaccinations and testing materials, the bus partnered with other service providers to combat other health and economic disparities experienced in communities throughout the county.

The initiative received support from the other two commissioners as well as local civil rights and grassroots leaders, Reece said.

Before the purchase of the new bus, the county borrowed a vehicle from UC Health. So far, the program has served more than 4,000 people, according to data from Hamilton County. The bus traveled to 28 ZIP codes in 2021, allowing staff to take applications for rent, utility and mortgage relief from people living in 50 ZIP codes.

The county hopes to improve on those numbers in the near future.

“At the onset of the pandemic, we quickly learned there are numerous residents of our county who are hard to reach in traditional ways,” said Commissioner Denise Driehaus. “This gives us the ability to engage people in their own community in a proactive way.”

As part of the program, the 513Relief Bus is partnering with several Hamilton County departments, including Job and Family Services, the Office of Reentry, Public Health, and Community, Outreach, Recovery and Engagement Program (CORE).

But Reece stressed the county can’t accomplish its goals alone. Other organizations taking part include:

• Council on Aging
• Dress for Success
• Your Priority Healthcare
• UC Health
• Urban League
• Addiction Services Council
• Talbert House

Each 513Relief Bus tour will have a unique set of service providers catering to the specific needs of the community being visited.

As of Thursday, there are 11 513Relief Bus events scheduled for the month of February. The first one is Feb. 1 at Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church on Wayne Avenue.

For more information and the bus schedule, visit 513relief.org/bus/.