Together We Cope 'Elves' Find Way Forward After Fire

TINLEY PARK, IL — Its home might be closed for the rest of the year following a fire last month, but the demands for Together We Cope's services are still great, and its staff have a long to-do list for the holiday season. The Tinley Park-based social services agency has relocated temporarily, and turned to its network of helping hands, to be able to carry out some of its work for the holidays.

A fire struck the agency's food pantry and re-sale shop Nov. 21, damaging many of the items in the shop, with smoke and water damage impacting much of the stock in the food pantry, also jeopardizing the agency's ability to feed hundreds of families for Thanksgiving. In the days following the fire, the community stepped up for the agency, said Marge Seltzner, director of communications for the agency.

"There was the young man who brought boxes of diapers to aid our youngest clients, and the businessman who brought $500 in grocery store gift cards," Seltzner wrote in an update. "One man showed up at our door wearing a hardhat and carrying a shovel, wanting to help with the cleanup. A child offered to give her Thanksgiving dinner to a child in need. A company offered 'men and machines' to clean up the mess."

The building is expected to be closed until at least the beginning of the new year.

"We are unable to accept any food, clothing or furniture donations until fire repairs are complete," Seltzner wrote. "Fire, smoke and water damaged everything in our food pantry and resale shop, and we are forced to dispose of all stock."

By shifting into a donated storefront nearby, staff members will be able to complete holiday giving campaigns such as Santa's Workshop, which focuses on getting toys and pajamas to hundreds of south suburban children and teens in need. Toy and pajama donations were not stored at the facility impacted by the fire, but they are still accepting additional donations through the week's end. Some items on their wishlist include:

For younger children:

Board games, stuffed animals, cars and trucks, dolls and doll clothes, story books, Play-Doh, coloring books, Fisher-Price pre-school toys, art sets, Legos, basketballs, footballs, craft kits.

For teens:

Flannel sleep pants, Axe toiletries, wallets & purses, makeup, costume jewelry, nail care kits, t-shirts, hats & gloves, body wash, lotion, cologne, hair accessories, boot socks, Chicago sports teams hats.

Teens also love receiving gift cards for activitites or to places where they enjoy spending their free time, including iTunes, Subway, McDonald’s, Portillo’s, movie theaters, Target, Walmart, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wendy’s, Wingstop, GameStop, Simon Mall, Dunkin, Starbucks, and Ulta.

They are especially in need of pajamas sizes 10/12 and 14/16 for boys and girls, and adult pajamas size small through extra large.

In addition to making sure Santa's Workshop happens, the agency has connected with other food pantries with whom Together We Cope has built relationships, to make sure their clients' food needs are met, Seltzner said. Any food donations they receive while their building is closed will be redistributed to those other pantries.

They hope the re-sale shop will find a temporary home soon, too.

"We are hopeful we’ll find a temporary location for our Nu2u resale shop," Seltzner said, "at which time we’ll ask our friends to clean out their closets and bring us their gently used clothing and housewares. Revenue from our resale shop is critical to our agency."

Ways You Can Help Together We Cope Now

• Make donations online from our website www.togetherwecope.org.
• Buy grocery store gift cards for distribution to food pantry clients, contact troman@togetherwecope.org.
• Go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository website www.chicagosfoodbank.org to find a map of food pantries in our region where you can bring a food donation.
• Bring toy and pajama donations to 17030 Oak Park Ave. by Dec. 9. Contact karvetis@yahoo.com with questions.
• Plan a food drive after March 2023 to help re-stock their pantry.
• Collect gently used clothing and housewares to bring them when we establish a temporary collection site.

With over 200 volunteers, community donations of food, clothing and household goods, and groceries purchased from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the agency serves more than 1,500 families each month. Their services reach 27 communities, including Alsip, Blue Island, Bridgeview, Chicago Ridge, Country Club Hills, Crestwood, Evergreen Park, Garden Homes, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Hickory Hills, Hometown, Homewood, Markham, Merrionette Park, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Posen, Robbins, Tinley Park and Worth. Find out more about Together We Cope.