Woodridge Mayor Gina Cunningham, along with her non-profit Woodridge Neighbors Helping Neighbors and the Home Depot Foundation, teamed up on Wednesday to help residents who are still recovering following a devastating tornado more than a year ago.
It has been 17 months since a tornado tore through parts of the village and the groups say they're stepping in to help finish the work that still needs to be done.
“We’ve identified four families that have significant need,” said Kevin Lind from Team Depot.
One of the families selected is the home of a veteran whose family lost their child weeks after the tornado hit.
Volunteers spent the day building a memory pond for them in their backyard.
"We found a way to give back and give them some materials and then volunteer labor," Lind said. "We’ve got about 50 people out here volunteering from Home Depot as part of Team Depot.”
Then, there’s the Tancredi family.
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“When the actual tornado came we brought the kids into the bathroom," said Joe Tancredi. "[We] put them into the bathtub and tried to cover them up with couch cushions and just ride through it.”
They lost their wall and part of their roof.
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Now, a group of volunteers came in to help them put the finishing touches on their home, by painting and making it their home again.
“Incredibly grateful for all of the volunteers and all of the help that we’ve received from our neighbors and local community and Mayor," Tancredi said.
It’s support they hope to one day pass on to others.
