La Crosse County human services offering help during COVID

La Crosse County residents are worried about the toll COVID-19 is taking on the community.

La Crosse County’s human services director, Jason Witt, said at a meeting Monday night they are hearing those concerns.

Among the comments Witt shared with the county board included, ‘The pandemic’s awful,’ and ‘I’m afraid to leave my home.’

Other comments included that COVID ‘makes for a lot of loneliness,’ and ‘It’s impossible for some seniors to go on the computer and do things. There’s got to be another way to include seniors.’

Witt added that county programs have been responding to the needs of seniors and young people, and have helped provide shelter to homeless people as well as funding to pay electric bills.

“The impacts of increased isolation on mental health and substance abuse,” Witt said. “Really, the devastating financial impact that we’ve seen on so many that have lost their employment and youth whose needs and resources tend to be such that they can easily slip through the cracks of a virtual school environment.”

County employees also have been busy providing transportation and food service to those who need it, because of the pandemic.