• Viterbo University Food Pantries: Located on campus. There are two food pantries students can access using their student ID. One is located on Murphy Center third floor, and the other is located in The Port (in Marion Hall). All personal information regarding access to the pantries will be kept confidential. Tracking use of the pantries is required to maintain our partnership with the Hunger Task Force of La Crosse, a major supplier of food for the pantries. The pantry in Murphy Center is accessible during the following hours:
  • Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–9 p.m.
  • Saturday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
  • Sunday, 12–9 p.m.
• WAFER Food Pantry: The La Crosse community is home to the WAFER Food Pantry located at 403 Causeway Boulevard in La Crosse. They can be reached at 608-783-6003. If you are in need of food and meet income eligibility guidelines, you can go to WAFER during business hours for help. Hours are Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Additional evening hours are Mondays, Tuesday, and Thursdays, 4-7:45 p.m. There are income eligibility guidelines. 
• A Place of Grace Catholic Worker House Food Pantry: Located at 919 Hood Street, La Crosse.  Provides a small food pantry with non-perishable food and personal grooming supplies; baby food, formula and diapers may be available.
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse, Inc.: Located at 413 South 3^rd Street, La Crosse.  Provides a small food pantry with non-perishable food and personal grooming supplies; baby food and formula may be available. Food vouchers may be available.
• Additional food pantries
• Wisconsin ACCESS can connect you to help with paying for groceries (as well as FoodShare, Health Care & Insurance, Family Planning Only Services, and WIC/Child Care).
• Need Emergency Food? If you or someone you know needs emergency food, please dial 211. To call using a cell phone or pay phone, dial 414-773-0211 or toll free 1-866-211-3380. An operator will help you locate the closest emergency food pantry and/or meal program in your area.

• A Place of Grace Catholic Worker House, 919 Hood Street, La Crosse, 608-782-6224
  • Lunch is served Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. 
  • Dinner is served Thursdays at 5 p.m.
  • Afternoon meal is served at 1:30 p.m. on the last Sunday of each month
  • Call or walk in
• Come for Supper – La Crosse, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 612 Division St., La Crosse, 608-782-3468
  • Free meal on Tuesdays, 5–6 p.m.
  • Doors open at 4 p.m.
  • Serves La Crosse area
• Community Dinner – United Methodist Church, 212 4^th Ave. North, Onalaska, 608-783-3380
  • Free meal on second Tuesday of each month, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
  • Fellowship Hall of the United Methodist Church of Onalaska
  • Serves Onalaska and surrounding area
• Community Meal – New Beginnings Christian Fellowship, 122 5^th Ave. North, La Crosse, 608-782-8030
  • Free meal on Saturdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
  • Serves La Crosse County
• Monday’s Meals – Trinity Lutheran Church, 1010 Sill Street, La Crosse, 608-738-3811
  • Free meal on Mondays, 5–6 p.m.; doors open earlier
  • Serves La Crosse County
• The Salvation Army – La Crosse, 223 North 8^th Street, La Crosse, 608-782-6126
  • Breakfast served Monday–Friday, 7:30–8 a.m. and Saturday/Sunday, 8:30-9 a.m.
  • Lunch served Monday–Friday, 11:30 a.m.–12 noon; Saturday/Sunday, 12:30–1 p.m.
  • Supper is served seven days, 4:30–5 p.m.
  • Serves La Crosse County residents who are needing this service; includes those with no cooking facilities; families between checks; those whose public assistance has been lost or delayed.

• Residence Life at Viterbo: Viterbo University offers a variety of exciting living environments. Freshmen generally live in residence halls, while upperclassmen generally live in campus apartments. 
• On-Campus or Off-Campus Housing: Some upperclassmen may choose to live off campus. Click on the link for a comparison of costs of living on-campus vs. off campus.
• Viterbo Student Emergency Fund: If a student is having difficulty affording rent due to an unforeseen circumstance, Viterbo University recommends they apply for assistance through the Student Emergency Fund. The typical award amount for this fund is $500 or less.
• Coulee CAP: 608-782-4876, offers supportive services for those who are homeless or in need of low-income housing, and helps with weatherization of current residences. 
• Weatherization Assistance: To assist renters and/or homeowners in making their homes more energy efficient thereby reducing their monthly utility bills.
  • Habitat for Humanity: 608-785-2373, ext. 104
  • CouleeCap, Inc.: Community Action Program: 866-904-4508
  • La Crosse County Human Services Dept.: 608-785-5582
• Tenant Resource Center: Provides free counseling for tenants and landlords interested in learning more about their rental rights and responsibilities. For more information, visit Tenant Resource Center or call 1-877-238-7368.

The Keep Wisconsin Warm Fund is a statewide, non-profit public/private partnership that raises money to provide financial assistance for heating/energy costs. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis with the most vulnerable households given the highest priority. This is a limited fund, so assistance is available only while there is money in the fund.

• Home Energy Plus – WI Division of Energy Services
  • 866-432-8947
• La Crosse County Human Services Department
  • 608-785-5582
• For counties other than La Crosse, copy and paste:  https://www.greatriversunitedway.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/help-for-hard-times-2019.pdf

• Wisconsin has a website listing different types of financial assistance for families, including child care financial assistance, children’s health insurance, WIC, low income energy assistance, and more. To learn all that is offered, click here.
• Wisconsin Shares Western Region for Economic Assistance: For financial assistance for child care, contact their offices at 888-627-0430.
• The Parenting Place: This organization gives parents and caregivers the chance to learn parenting tips and skills; interact with other parents; discover resources in their community; understand the stages of child development; borrow books, toys and resources, and find the best options for child care.
• The WI Department of Children & Families offers an Online License Childcare Search website.

Viterbo University offers health services to all Viterbo students. A complete listing of their many services is listed on their website. 

For more information or to make an appointment between the hours of 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday, please call the Viterbo registered nurse at 608-796-3806.

If Viterbo University health services is closed, please reach out to one of the available resources in the La Crosse area:

Mayo Clinic Health System Urgent Care

• 700 West Avenue South, La Crosse, WI 54601
• Phone: 608-392-7000
• Hours: 6 a.m.–midnight, every day of the week

Mayo Clinic Health System - Family Health Clinic

• 815 South 10^th Street, La Crosse, WI 54601
• Phone: 608-392-7390                
• Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.

Same day services usually available by appointment. Identify yourself as a Viterbo student.

Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center Urgent Care

• 1900 South Avenue, La Crosse, WI 54601
• Phone: 608-782-7300              
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Holidays: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Nurse Advisor Line: 608-775-4454; 1-800-858-1050

Gundersen Lutheran Express Care

Visit cost is $62.  Insurance is accepted.

• La Crosse: Inside Festival Foods, Village Shopping Center, 2500 State Road 33, La Crosse, WI 54601
• Onalaska: Inside Festival Foods, Crossing Meadows Shopping Center, 1260 Crossing Meadows Drive, Onalaska, WI 54650  (Onalaska Express Care closed until further notice due to COVID-19.)
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

St. Clare Health Mission Clinic

• 916 Ferry Street, La Crosse, WI 54601
• Phone: 608-791-9546               
• Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5–8 p.m.

Serves persons without insurance.  Financial guidelines do apply.

Neighborhood Family Clinics

• Located in the Breidenbach Wellness Center, 1526 Rose Street, La Crosse, WI 54603
• Phone: 608-781-9880            
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m.–noon

Pay at time of services.

Scenic Bluffs Community Health Center

• 608-654-5100
• Serves residents of the following counties: Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe, and Verson
• Office Locations: Cashton, Norwalk, Viroqua, Sparta, La Crosse
• Health and dental care regardless of income-level or insurance status

For additional information on health care options in La Crosse and surrounding counties, click here. 

BadgerCare: This is a state-sponsored health insurance program aimed at low-income, vulnerable population groups. If approved, you can receive benefits through one of the accredited health maintenance organizations (HMOs). A list of these HMOs can be found here. 

In case of emergency, call 911. Mayo Clinic Health System is one block from campus, and Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is at 1910 South Avenue. If you have insurance, bring your card with you.

Viterbo University Counseling Services is here to help! Whether you need some help with balancing your personal life, academic life, athletics and relationships; transitioning to college; or have issues at home or work, counseling services promotes the mental health and well-being of all students and is free to all students enrolled in academic coursework at Viterbo University. All information provided through counseling is privileged and confidential. 

***If you or someone you care about is suicidal or in need of immediate assistance, please call 608-796-3911 if on campus, or 911 if not on campus.***

• La Crosse MTU: Getting to and from the Viterbo University campus is easy and FREE! That’s right– La Crosse Municipal Transit (MTU) offers all La Crosse college students free rides anywhere, anytime, on any MTU bus all over town with a valid student ID. You can even bring your bicycle with you. 
• CouleeCap Work-N-Wheels Program: Provides zero interest auto loans to qualified low-income households. Participants must be currently employed and need a personal vehicle to get to and from their place of employment. Participants must agree to participate in Wisconsin Rideshare when possible. Contact Krista Heinz, Krista.Heinz@couleecap.org or 608-423-6624.

Do you need low-cost legal help? Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc., maintains BadgerLaw.net, Wisconsin’s public interest law network. 

• Student Emergency Fund: Viterbo University has created a Student Emergency Fund through the generous donations of private donors. This fund is to help support students who encounter a financial emergency which could prevent them from continuing their education. Typical expenses covered by the fund include, but are not limited to, textbooks, medical care, safety needs, transportation issues, child care, travel, rent, utilities, groceries, and household expenses. The typical award amount is $500 or less. 
• Viterbo Financial Literacy: For additional financial resources and helpful tips, please visit the Viterbo University Financial Literacy website. 

• CareConnect USA
  • 800-291-1068
  • Provides publications for individuals and families struggling with their finances
  • Available nationwide to the general public
• Catholic Charities – La Crosse
  • 888-212-4357
  • Provides financial counseling for individuals and families; credit and debt management; budgeting and money management
• Consumer Credit Counseling Service of La Crosse (CCCS)

  • 608-784-8380

  • Money management and budgeting education
  • Credit counseling and debt management, including debt consolidation
• Extension La Crosse County (UW-Madison)
  • 608-785-9593
  • Provides family financial management information and counseling

Catholic Charities, Men’s Closet

• 413 3^rd Street South, La Crosse WI 54601
• 608-782-0710

Goodwill

• https://www.goodwillncw.org/communities/lacrosse/
  • 3954 Mormon Coulee Road, La Crosse WI 54601
  • 608-783-2710
•      ~ or ~
• https://www.goodwillncw.org/communities/onalaska/
  • 200 Theater Road, Onalaska WI 54650
  • 608-783-1581

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Women’s Clothes Closet

• 612 Division Street, La Crosse WI 54601
• 608-784-5745

The Salvation Army

• 728 Copeland Avenue, La Crosse WI 54603
• 608-784-1421

Threads to Thrive

• Brophy Center room 125 – visit Starfish to schedule an appointment
• Free-of-charge clothing suited for interviews, presentations, and career events

Trinity Lutheran Church Children’s Clothes Closet

• 1010 Sill Street, La Crosse WI 54603
• 608-782-3468

Great Rivers United Way:  Help for Hard Times. 

This 62-page booklet also lists where to go for food resources, health services, housing, public transportation, child care assistance, help with addictions, and much more. 

Couleecap, Inc.:

Couleecap takes action to find innovative strategies to combat poverty. They are People Helping People, and every day their work makes a difference in the lives of people and families in the Coulee Region. Couleecap helps people in need with housing, food, transportation, and more. 

• Workforce Connections
  • 2615 East Avenue South, Suite 300, La Crosse WI 54601
  • 608-789-5620
  • Works to connect people, work and training while advancing self-sufficiency. Provides online and on-site services including assistance with job search, referrals and placements; access to training; community resources; and re-employment services, unemployment insurance and job recruitment. On-site resources include phones, internet access, fax machines, and job search computers.
• CouleeCap Skills Enhancement Program:
  • Assists with the training needs of low-income workers. Provides support and financial assistance for tuition, child care, and transportation expenses related to returning to school.
  • Contact Aaron Reimler at Aaron.Reimler@couleecap.org or 608-782-5525

• Spiritual Direction through the Franciscan Spirituality Center: Do you need a compassionate, non-judgmental listener? Do you long to grow spiritually and communicate with God? Have you experienced challenges in life such as grief, loss or significant changes? Do you seek self-acceptance, meaning and wholeness? Scholarships available. No one will be turned away because of inability to pay.
• Viterbo University Campus Ministry: Viterbo’s Campus Ministry serves as a vehicle for implementing the mission of Viterbo University, namely, in its mission as a Christian community, and in its preparation of students for ethical leadership and service.