Residents in the Pilsen neighborhood on Monday rallied behind a family whose lives were devastated by a weekend fire.
A group of concerned neighbors collected cash donations, bags of clothes, bedding and toys for the Cruz family as they began the first steps to recovering and searching for a new place to call home.
Michael Cruz and his 1-year-old daughter, Ciala, were both injured in the Saturday afternoon blaze that destroyed their three-story apartment building at Wood and Cullteron.
Cruz's 3-year-old boy, Michael, was killed.
The three mothers who organized the collection told the Chicago Tribune that they couldn't just sit back and let their neighbors suffer alone. Cruz, they said, has been a pillar to the community by coaching a girls' softball team and volunteering his time to DJ events.
Cruz remains in critical condition at Loyola University Medical Center. His daughter is listed in stable condition.
