Chicago

Safe Passage Workers' Act of Winter Kindness Saves a Life

A group of altruistic Safe Passage workers in Chicago who wanted to give a woman a new winter coat ended up saving her life.

The workers, Johna McLemore and Kimberly Barnes, help keep the kids of Randolph Elementary school safe in the West Englewood neighborhood. But they also wanted to help Lois Walker, an elderly woman they would see in the community who didn’t have a winter coat. Worried about her well-being with winter descending, the Safe Passage workers pooled together to buy Walker a new, warm jacket.

When the co-workers went to Walker’s home to give her the new coat, she didn’t answer the door. They came back days later—still no answer.

McLemore says she called the police and asked them to perform a well-being check.

Police found Walker alone on the floor—she had apparently fallen and could not get back up.

Walker’s daughter said her mother was still in the hospital Wednesday night and is recovering.

But that didn’t stop the McLemore and Barnes from delivering the coat.

The Chicago Board of Education will honor the women next week.

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