Los Alamos County adds evening walk-in Social Services at White Rock library

Los Alamos County moved Social Services closer to the evening rush at White Rock, opening weekly walk-in hours at the White Rock Branch Library so residents could get one-on-one help after the workday ends.

The county set the hours for Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m., with the White Rock location alternating through 2026 with Mesa Public Library in Los Alamos. No appointment was needed at White Rock, a practical change for people who cannot step away from work, caregiving or limited transportation during normal office hours.

At the library, residents could talk through housing services, utility payment assistance, food instability, safety at home and other county resources. Social Services also said it could help with Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, LIHEAP, the Los Alamos Utilities Assistance Program, Section 8 and housing vouchers, eviction-related assistance, workforce referrals, and physical and behavioral health referrals. That range makes the stop-in hours more than a narrow intake desk. It gives residents a place to handle several problems at once before a missed bill, unstable housing or a shortage of groceries turns into a larger crisis.

The White Rock site mattered because it sits on the east side of the county at 10 Sherwood Blvd., in a library that has long served as a public gathering point. Los Alamos County Library System history materials say the branch was established in 1985, and county materials show it has also hosted library board meetings, election services and other civic functions. For residents in White Rock, that familiarity can lower the barrier to asking for help.

The county had been building toward the 2026 schedule for some time. A county news item in 2024 said the library collaboration was being relaunched after a successful pilot program, and a county notice in January 2026 said Social Services would offer monthly White Rock office hours in a study room on the third Wednesday of each month from 4 to 7 p.m. The move to weekly alternating hours suggests the county decided the need was broad enough to justify a more regular presence.

Jamie Allbach is listed by the county as the Social Services program specialist connected to the outreach, which fits a division that also manages contracts with partner agencies and coordinates the Los Alamos County Health Council. County food-assistance resources point residents to LA Cares and Social Services for additional support, underscoring that the White Rock walk-in hours are one part of a wider county safety net rather than a stand-alone service.