Health, Medical & Mental Health

You do not have to be suicidal to call 988. If you are overwhelmed, panicking, cannot stop shaking, or cannot think straight after what happened, that is exactly what this line is for.

• Call or text 988 from any phone
• Chat online at 988lifeline.org
• Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line
• Spanish-language support available

Free and confidential.

In addition to the national 988 line, both counties run their own 24/7 crisis line staffed by local counselors:

• Winnebago County Crisis Line: 920-233-7707
• Outagamie County Crisis Line: 920-832-4646

Both are free and available around the clock for anyone in emotional distress after the storm.

Useful when you cannot find privacy to talk — in a shelter, in a car, with children nearby — or when speaking feels impossible.

Text HOME to 741741. Free, confidential, 24/7.

This is the crisis line built specifically for people living through exactly this — a tornado, a flood, a fire. The counselors are trained in disaster response, not general crisis work.

• Call or text 1-800-985-5990
• Multilingual support available
• Free, confidential, 24/7

What people commonly feel in the first weeks: trouble sleeping, replaying it, jumping at wind or sirens, numbness, irritability, guilt about having less damage than a neighbor. All of that is a normal response to an abnormal event. Talking to someone early genuinely shortens it.

Children often show it differently — clinging, regression, stomach aches, or refusing to be in a room alone. Keeping routines and letting them tell the story in their own words helps a great deal.

The Fox Valley Lions MJ Tassoul Loan Locker lends medical equipment — wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and similar items — free of charge. Message them through Facebook to ask about availability and pickup.