Every once in a while, something happens that reminds us of what community is really all about. Recently, a devastating fire at the Windsor Lakes Apartment Homes in Woodridge displaced more than sixty individuals and families. In a matter of hours, people lost their homes and many of the belongings that were part of their everyday lives. It is difficult to imagine what it must feel like to suddenly have to leave your home with little more than what you could take with you.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, Woodridge Mayor Gina Cunningham reached out to the community and shared the many ways people can help. The list of needs is extensive: blankets, clothing, personal care items, gift cards, fuel cards, food, furniture, household items, and monetary donations. These simple, everyday things can become incredibly important when someone has lost almost everything.
Mayor Cunningham has expressed her gratitude for the tremendous generosity already shown to those affected by the fire. That generosity reminds us that when people face difficult times, they do not have to face them alone, and that is where I believe Darien can make a difference.
Darien has always been a community that looks beyond itself. When our neighbors have needed our help, we have answered the call. We have supported families, organizations and communities facing difficult circumstances because we understand that being a good neighbor isn’t simply about where you live, it is about how you treat those around you, and now, Woodridge, our neighbor, needs our assistance.
So, I am asking each of you to think about what you can do to help. Perhaps you have clothing or household items that you can donate. Perhaps you can provide a gift card, make a monetary contribution, donate food or offer something else that a family beginning again might need. I am also asking Darien organizations such as the Darien Woman’s Club, Lions Club, our churches, civic organizations, businesses, and others to consider how we can come together and make a meaningful difference for those who have suffered this tremendous loss.
If you are interested in helping, there are several organizations working to coordinate assistance, including “Woodridge Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” the “West Suburban Pantry,” and the “Woodridge Volunteer Corp.” I encourage you to reach out to these organizations to learn what is needed and how you can help.
Sometimes we wonder whether one person, one family, one organization or one donation can really make a difference: it can! For someone who has lost their home, a blanket can provide comfort, a gift card can provide a meal, a piece of furniture can help make a new apartment feel like home. A simple act of kindness can remind someone who has lost so much that people really do care.
We may not be able to replace everything that was lost in this horrendous fire, but together, we can help make the road ahead a little easier. Darien has always been there for others, and now our neighbors in Woodridge need us.
I ask you to consider what you can do, and, in the spirit of being good neighbors, let us once again show what the people of Darien are capable of when they come together to help others.