A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide
A respectful place to begin, whether you are looking for support for yourself, worried about someone you love, or trying to respond to a safety, housing, care, or practical concern in Wausau and Marathon County.
Start here - Fight the Blight
Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from Wausau, Marathon County, and other Central Wisconsin communities. We can help you think through what is happening and what kind of next step may fit.
Call 911 for a medical emergency, fire, or immediate threat. For behavioral-health crisis support, call or text 988 or review North Central Health Care crisis services. For shelter, food, and basic-needs navigation, review Wisconsin 211.
First conversations
You do not need to know the perfect service name before reaching out. These organizations can help you understand the landscape and identify a next step.
Use Wisconsin 211 to identify current local resources for shelter, food, utilities, health care, mental health, substance use, benefits, and other needs. A referral is not a guarantee of an open bed, appointment, benefit, or service, so confirm directly.
North Central Health Care connects residents to mental-health, recovery, substance-use, community-treatment, crisis, adult protective services, and other public pathways. Ask which program fits the person and whether county, insurance, or clinical eligibility rules apply.
Marathon County Social Services provides public pathways for child protection, disability-related supports, economic support, and family services. Ask which division fits the concern and what eligibility, consent, or documentation applies.
The Aging and Disability Resource Center helps older adults, adults with disabilities, caregivers, and families understand benefits, long-term-care options, nutrition, transportation, and support services. Ask for the right pathway based on age, disability, consent, and safety needs.
NAMI Northwoods offers free mental-health support, peer and family groups, education, and advocacy for residents across Marathon, Lincoln, and Langlade counties. Ask what current group or class fits; call 988 or the local crisis line for urgent crisis support.
Bridge Clinic provides integrated health care and behavioral-health services, including counseling, psychiatric medication management, substance-use and domestic-violence programs, and language and accessibility supports. Ask about current intake, insurance, and payment options.
The International OCD Foundation directory can be searched for clinicians, support groups, organizers, and programs that indicate an interest in hoarding-related care. Listings are not endorsements. Ask about licensure, fees, insurance, wait time, privacy, and whether home-based or telehealth work fits.
Safety and stability
These pathways serve different situations. Read the labels carefully before calling, especially when a response may involve crisis care, protective services, shelter, housing rules, legal advocacy, or emergency dispatch.
Call 911 for a fire, medical emergency, violence, immediate threat, or dangerous condition that cannot wait for a scheduled service. Emergency dispatch is not a hoarding-support program, counseling service, or cleanup provider.
Call or text 988, or use online chat, for emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, mental-health or substance-use crisis, or concern about a loved one. Call 911 for immediate danger.
NCHC's crisis center provides 24/7 crisis assessment, hotline support, and a route into acute behavioral-health services. Crisis Center: 1150 Lake View Drive, Wausau. Call for behavioral-health crisis support and call 911 for immediate danger.
NCHC's Crisis Assessment Response Team works with Wausau Police and the Marathon County Sheriff's Office to respond to people in mental-health crisis. Call the NCHC crisis line to ask about the appropriate response; it is not a routine home-assessment or cleanup service.
North Central Health Care's Adult Behavioral Health Hospital offers short-term inpatient care for adults experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis. All new admissions are referred through the 24/7 Crisis Center; ask about the current assessment and admission process.
Wisconsin DHS identifies North Central Health Care as the Marathon County adult protective-services contact. APS can assess suspected abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation while respecting a capable adult's choices and privacy; call 911 for immediate danger.
Wisconsin DHS explains how to report suspected abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation to the county where the adult at risk lives. A clutter or fire concern may require a broader safety plan; it is not itself proof of abuse.
The Women's Community supports women, children, and men affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, trafficking, and abuse. Services are free to victims and include confidential shelter, advocacy, counseling, and safety planning; call 911 for immediate danger.
The Salvation Army lists 30-90 days of emergency shelter, three meals per day, case management, basic-living-skills support, and outreach services. Confirm current eligibility, hours, household rules, and availability before traveling.
Bridge Street Mission's Community Shelter is a year-round emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Marathon County. Guests have access to meals, showers, laundry, and a community navigator; confirm intake timing and current availability directly.
WCDA manages subsidized rental units and the Housing Choice Voucher program. The city currently notes that the Section 8 waiting list is closed; confirm current openings, income limits, reasonable accommodations, and application steps directly.
Legal Action of Wisconsin now includes the former Judicare service and provides a statewide intake route for eligible civil legal help. Ask about housing conditions, eviction, utilities, benefits, or other civil matters and confirm current intake priorities.
People and practical help
These listings connect Wausau and Marathon County with housing, homelessness navigation, food, behavioral health, benefits, transit, legal help, peer support, and community resources. Ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.
Marathon County Economic Support helps residents apply for FoodShare, BadgerCare, Medicaid, child-care assistance, and related programs. Applications can begin online or by phone; confirm current eligibility, documents, and processing rules.
FoodShare is Wisconsin's SNAP program and can help eligible households buy food. Apply through ACCESS or the county agency, complete the required interview, and ask about language or disability accommodations if needed.
Marathon County identifies Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance as a pathway for eligible households needing help with heating, electric, or energy-crisis costs. Apply through the local agency and confirm the current season, documents, and crisis route.
North Central CAP lists emergency housing assistance, including a possible one-month rent subsidy for a documented crisis, along with energy, weatherization, family-support, and workforce programs. Confirm current funding and service-area rules.
The Salvation Army offers a food pantry, bread and produce distribution, and weekday lunches. Its current guidance lists identification for household members, proof of Marathon County residency, and proof of income for the pantry; confirm current hours and supplies.
The Neighbors' Place offers free deliveries of groceries and, when available, diapers, hygiene items, pet food, and dietary options. Delivery is for eligible Marathon County residents who cannot get to a pantry and need someone home to receive it.
Faith in Action offers no-cost volunteer help to eligible Marathon County residents age 60 and older, including rides to medical appointments, shopping, errands, grocery delivery, phone checks, and friendly visits. Ask about mobility and scheduling requirements.
Metro Ride provides public bus service in Wausau and publishes rider information through the City of Wausau. Check routes, hours, service alerts, and accessibility before planning a trip to a clinic, pantry, shelter, or housing appointment.
Metro Ride paratransit serves eligible riders who cannot use accessible fixed-route service. Trips must be reserved and stay within the service area; it is planned transportation, not emergency medical transport.
Wisconsin Housing Search helps residents look for available rental housing and housing resources. Listings do not guarantee that a unit is open, affordable, accessible, or a fit, so confirm directly and ask about reasonable accommodations.
The City of Wausau's housing hub gathers public housing, homebuyer, homeowner, landlord, rehabilitation, fair-housing, and affordable-housing programs. Use it to identify the right program and confirm current funding and eligibility.
Bridge Clinic's integrated model includes behavioral health and related support programs. Ask about current services, location, intake, insurance, language access, and whether a primary-care or behavioral-health appointment is the better first call.
Rogers' Wausau clinic lists partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient care for teens and adults, plus outpatient psychiatric services and medication management. Ask about diagnosis, level of care, insurance, and screening before relying on a referral.
Behavioral Health Clinic provides mental-health services for children and adults, including counseling, assessments, psychiatric services, and telehealth. Ask about current clinicians, accepted coverage, private-pay fees, and whether the concern is within scope.
Aspirus lists primary-care and walk-in options in the Wausau area. Use a clinic for medical assessment, medication questions, or referrals when that is the needed route; it is not an emergency substitute when immediate danger is present.
The county Veterans Service Office helps eligible veterans and dependents apply for state and federal benefits, health care, compensation, education, and other supports. Walk-ins are welcome and appointments are recommended.
The Marathon County Job Center connects residents with employment, training, and workforce services, including veteran-employment support. Ask about current workshops, benefits, transportation, and document requirements.
Vivent Health's Wausau-area location lists behavioral health, case management, food and nutrition, housing assistance, legal assistance, and insurance support. Ask which services are available to the person and what eligibility applies.
Housing instability and unsafe conditions can create pressure around clutter, belongings, and deadlines. Legal Action's intake can help eligible residents understand civil options; it cannot provide emergency dispatch or guarantee representation.
The Peer Tree is the private-pay pathway for organizing help, decluttering support, groups, family guidance, and practical next steps when a grant or public program is not the right fit. Ask about scope, cost, travel, consent, and safety in Wausau or Marathon County.
Unburied, from The Peer Tree, offers a judgment-free digital pathway with peer support, groups, and tools for people directly affected and for friends or family supporters. It is not therapy, a crisis service, or a substitute for emergency help.
A note from the Alliance
This guide is anchored in Wausau, Wisconsin, and includes city, county, state, nonprofit, national, and independent pathways. A listing here does not mean Fight the Blight endorses every provider or can guarantee availability. The Hoarding Alliance is not a city or county agency, therapy practice, emergency service, or cleanup company. We will keep reviewing this page, but please confirm details directly before relying on them.
Need help choosing a path? Contact Fight the Blight