Helpful Resources

Emergency Delivery Services

Klickitat County EOC and multiple volunteer groups will begin delivering necessary supplies such as groceries to community members starting Friday, March 27th, 2020. This service is intended for members of our community in quarantine (may have been exposed to COVID-19), isolation (have tested positive for COVID-19), High Risk and Vulnerable Populations. Vulnerable Populations, as defined by the CDC and Washington State Department of Public Health, including anyone who has difficulty communicating, difficulty accessing medical care, anyone who may need help maintaining independence, anyone who requires constant supervision, anyone who may need help accessing transportation, those who have serious underlying medical conditions or are at HIGH RISK for complications from COVID-19, such as, but not limited to, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or a weakened immune system.

For information on how to participate in this program see the media release below:

Delivery Service Media Release - English

Delivery Service Media Release - Spanish

Disaster Relief Loans for Small Businesses

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing assistance to many counties in Washington state including Klickitat. Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information, and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX  76155.

Childcare

With schools closed, many parents are struggling to find child care options for their children. Ideally, children should be kept at home, away from other people, following social distancing practices. However, this is not always possible so alternate care arrangements are necessary.

For facilities that remain open, steps must be taken to reduce the risk of spreading corona virus.

  • Children, staff, and parents that show symptoms of COVID-19, have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, or those who are at high risk due to underlying health conditions should be excluded from the site.
  • All persons on site should be screened daily at entry. This means taking temperatures and checking for symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath) prior to contact with others at the site.
  • Reduce group sizes to 10 people total (or less), including children and adults – e.g. one adult and nine children, two adults and eight children, etc.
  • Incorporate social distancing within groups as much as possible, aiming for at least six feet between children and minimizing the amount of time children are in close contact with each other.
  • Eliminate large group activities.
  • Increase the distance between children during table work.
  • Plan activities that do not require close physical contact between children.
  • Limit item sharing and ensure hand washing protocols are followed after handling shared items.
  • Incorporate additional outside time and encourage games that limit contact.
  • Avoid gathering with other groups for meals, drop off, and pickups.
  • Increase the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing toys, equipment, surfaces, doorknobs, counter tops, and restrooms.

Mental Health 

Social distancing, the constant flood of news through multiple sources of media, and uncertainty about the future can trigger anxiety and depression. If you find yourself lonely, stressed, or anxious pay attention to these emotions and take action:

  1. Avoid watching, reading, or listening to news reports that cause you to feel anxious or distressed. A near-constant stream of news is not calming. Seek out information from reliable sources like the Washington State Department of Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just a couple times a day. Fact check what you see on social media. Spread good information.
  2. Stay connected with others and maintain your social networks. Go for a walk and wave to your neighbors from six feet away. Ask them if they are well and if they need anything.
  3. Introduce structure into your day. Structure and routine may be helpful for people with mental health vulnerabilities, especially during times of uncertainty. Even if you are working from home or if your life looks completely different right now, try to maintain familiar routines in daily life as much as possible. Maybe we’ll feel better if we shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast.

There are resources available if you are struggling with depression or anxiety during this stressful time:

If you are in crisis, don’t hesitate to call the 24-Hour Crisis Line at 866–427–4747 or text HEAL to 741741 to get confidential text access to a trained crisis counselor any time of the day or night.