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Health director outlines Community Self Help Fund's local relief work after April fire and promotes Hope for Hoffman golf fundraiser
Summary
Dr. Monica Saavedra described the Community Self Help Fund as a rapid-response local lifeline, citing its emergency support for roughly 18 families displaced by an April fire and noting partnerships that supplied shelter, food vouchers and home-repair assistance; she urged support via the Hope for Hoffman golf outing.
Dr. Monica Saavedra, director of Health and Human Services for Hoffman Estates, described the Community Self Help Fund as a locally built resource that provides fast, flexible assistance to residents facing sudden hardship.
Saavedra said the fund is supported by donations from neighbors, businesses and volunteers and has paid for an emergency food pantry in the department lobby, food vouchers for families, holiday assistance for children, home-repair materials for a senior veteran (including a wheelchair ramp), and, following an April large fire, immediate shelter and supplies for about 18 displaced families.
"Because of the self help fund, we were able to secure emergency shelter, clothing, hygiene products, comfort items for children, diapers, and formula that same day," Saavedra said, adding that the fund allowed social workers and police social-service partners to coordinate next steps and resources for affected families. She cited a partnership with the Lions Club for bed purchases and home repairs.
Saavedra encouraged participation in the Hope for Hoffman golf fundraiser as a community way to sustain the fund and its rapid-response capacity.
Why this matters: the fund operates as a local, flexible safety net for emergency needs and relies on community donations and collaboration with local organizations to respond quickly to crises.
The segment contained no formal budget appropriation or vote on behalf of the village government; it was informational and promotional for the fundraising event.
