Following a large fire that engulfed an apartment building on Burr Oaks Drive earlier this week, the administration of District 94 has been actively working to provide the victims of the fire shelter and resources amid this crisis.

On the late night of Nov. 29, a fire broke out at the Main Park Apartments by Burr Oaks Drive and Main Street, which resulted in numerous resident injuries and the displacement of many residents of West Chicago. After learning of the ongoing crisis, John Langton, the co-interim superintendent of D94, met with leaders within Districts 94 and 33 the following morning to provide victims of the fire with clothes and toiletries, among other items.

“I didn’t anticipate when I went to bed last night that this morning I was going to spend half the day helping these members of our community, but that’s what we do. We’re here to serve and support our students,” Langton said.

Langton has been working with representatives from DuPage county, the city of West Chicago, and politicians in Springfield to make sure that those who have been affected by the fire have a chance of recovering. Coordinator of Communications & Community Relations Brittney Walker also sent out a request to D94 staff asking them to donate gift cards to affected families so that they can purchase groceries at local stores.

“Our focus now is just making sure that those people are safe and that they have what they need,” Langton said.

For more information on the fire itself, and how local organizations are working to aid those affected, see Karidja Monjolo and Daniela Perez’s article “Main Park Apartments fire displaces West Chicago families“.