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Hoffman Estates highlights Community Self Help Fund after April fire displaced about 18 families
Summary
Dr. Monica Saavedra said the Community Self Help Fund, supported by events such as the Hope for Hoffman golf outing, provides fast, flexible help for food insecurity, temporary shelter, rental assistance and home repairs; the fund helped provide emergency shelter and supplies after a large April fire that displaced approximately 18 families.
Dr. Monica Saavedra, director of Health and Human Services, described the Community Self Help Fund as a local lifeline that provides fast, flexible support to residents facing sudden hardship.
"This is a fund that is built by all of you, local businesses, neighbors, volunteers, people who live and work in the community," Saavedra said, urging participation in the Hope for Hoffman golf fundraiser that supports the fund.
Saavedra listed services the fund has supported: an emergency food pantry in the Health and Human Services lobby, food vouchers for local grocers, rental assistance for families affected by job loss or other crises, materials for home repairs (including building a ramp for a senior veteran with a disability), and partnerships with the Lions Club to purchase beds for children.
She said the fund responded quickly to a large April fire that displaced approximately 18 families, providing emergency shelter, clothing, hygiene products, diapers, formula and a space for families to gather while social workers connected them with longer-term resources.
Why it matters: The fund's flexible, locally controlled resources enabled the village to deliver rapid emergency assistance in an acute displacement event and to supplement other social services.
Saavedra thanked donors, volunteers and municipal staff and said the fund is about preserving dignity while providing immediate aid. She encouraged support and participation in community fundraisers that sustain the program.
The program did not provide a year-to-date dollar total for the fund in the remarks; specific funding amounts and ongoing budget lines were not specified in the segment.
