Tinley Park nonprofit damaged by fire, decimating food bank and donations

TINLEY PARK, Ailing. (WLS) — A small hearth inside a Tinley Park nonprofit has ruined a lot of the meals and donated gadgets that they had deliberate to distribute for the vacations.

The fireplace occurred Monday morning because the Collectively We Cope group was about to kick off their annual Thanksgiving meals distribution to households in want.

“Nothing may exit of right here. Nothing can are available and that was laborious,” mentioned Kathryn Straniero, government director of Collectively We Cope.

Straneiro arrived to see smoke popping out of the constructing on Oak Park Avenue and a hundred and seventieth Avenue as households had been displaying as much as decide up what would have been their Thanksgiving meal.

“It was laborious for workers to be turning them away after they’re so that they’re so used to coming right here to get it and to inform them no, it was it was very tough for them,” mentioned Mayor Michael Glotz, who can also be on the board of Collectively We Cope.

The nonprofit mentioned the fireplace began in a sorting room of their resale store. Sprinklers contained the flames, however left behind intensive smoke and water injury.

“The water saved pouring out pouring out pouring out and sadly, all the pieces is soaked,” mentioned Straneiro.

The vast majority of the meals should be thrown out, together with donated gadgets that had been on the market. Turkeys set for distribution had been saved exterior the constructing and fortunately saved from the fireplace.

The constructing will probably be closed for a minimum of two weeks as nonprofit leaders work to find out the extent of the injury. However Straneiro mentioned the plan to assist the 27 communities they serve will proceed.

“We’re really not stopping. You already know, we’re simply reconfiguring.,” she mentioned. “We’ll be stronger and higher as a result of each time one thing like this occurs is that is once we do our greatest work and we now have such nice individuals surrounding us.”

If you need to assist or donate to Collectively We Cope, go to their web site.