Clare Hall on the Saint Francis de Sales Seminary grounds in St. Francis opened its doors March 30 to provide shelter and isolation facilities for individuals experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twenty-five Wisconsin National Guard troops are staffing the facility, including ten medics and fifteen other citizen soldiers to provide administrative and operational support.
Spc. Braydon Budz, a Soldier with the Medford, Wisconsin-based 273rd Engineer Company, said it’s good to be able to help out close to home.
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“Being able to help in the community is why a lot of people joined,” Budz said. “Personally, that’s why I joined as well.”
Their continued efforts aim to help impact the community’s ability to flatten the curve of COVID-19.
In addition to caring for citizens in the Clare Hall facility, the National Guard is helping fill gaps in care across the state.
The National Guard is assisting the Wisconsin Elections Commission to fill-in as poll workers to disinfect and protect the public from contracting the virus at polling places.
They have helped staff a senior living facility in Grafton while it deals with an active outbreak, and are supporting the Wisconsin DHS to disperse person protective equipment (PPE) to those that need it most.