Community Corner
Sister Seeks Donations for Family Who 'Lost Everything' in Fire
A fire gutted the Brementowne Drive townhouse Wednesday of a Tinley Park family of four. Find out how you can help them recover from this tragedy.
A relative of the Tinley Park family that was displaced from their home after a fire Wednesday night is taking donations from the community.
READ: Fire Forces Family of Four Out of Tinley Park Townhouse
Tamatha Otero and her husband and two kids—a 4-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl—"lost everything" in the Aug. 28 blaze that left their townhouse in the 6800 block of Brementowne Drive uninhabitable, said Otero's sister, Dawn Palecek, who is trying to find ways to help her sibling's family recover from this tragedy.
"All they have are the pajamas that they were wearing," Palecek said.
The Oteros are currently staying in a hotel while they wait for their insurance company to assess the damage, added Palecek, who also lives in Tinley Park and works as a paramedic for Trace Ambulance.
Palecek said she is accepting all kinds of donations for the family, including retail gift cards, food and clothing. She plans to set up times where people can drop off items at her house, but nothing is scheduled yet.
The clothing sizes for the family member are as follows:
- Tamatha Otero: 15, pants; XL, shirt
- Otero's husband: 30-32, pants; L, shirt
- 6-year-old girl: 10-12; size 2, shoes
- 4-year-old boy: 5T; size 2, shoes
If you're interested in donating items or have questions, you can contact Palecek by email at medicdawn35@gmail.com or message her at her Facebook page, which she opened to the public.
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