Community responds to COVID-19 positive family's request for help

A man with nowhere else to turn, looking for help after COVID-19 made it impossible for him to get the basic essentials for his family, shared his story and the community came out in full support.

On Thursday, Josh Walz spoke to Q13 News about his family’s difficult situation. 

He, his fiancé, and her son all are forced to quarantine because they all have COVID-19. This, among several other factors, is making it impossible for him to get basic essentials like food.

"Help, help is what we needed," Walz said. 

Less than 24 hours later, things are much different.

"My family and I are overwhelmed by everyone’s hospitality," said Walz.

He said emails started pouring in from folks looking to help after the story aired.

"It’s a beautiful feeling to know that people out there care," he said.

Throughout the day, Walz and his family watched (while maintaining distance due to their COVID-19 diagnosis) as car after car dropped off groceries.

"I pulled my guys in and got together and filled a bunch of food in the back of an Explorer and decided we were going to take it to them," said Don Woods.

Woods is a manager of Fresh Start Housing, a group that provides housing for clean and sober living. He said he heard about Walz's story and got his group together to drop off groceries.

Walz, his fiancé, and her son said thanks to the community’s effort, a massive weight is now off their shoulders.

"Very grateful and appreciative for everybody’s help and prayers and everything for what people have done," said Walz’s fiancé Lacy.

Walz said when he and his family are cleared of COVID-19, one of the first things they plan to do is pay this kind gesture forward to their community.