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La Grange, IL —
Linda Kunicki was running an errand as the rains poured July 23 and knew right away it was going to be a weekend to remember.
“I was driving to Dominick’s grocery store in Westchester and I had my radio on and heard they were rescuing people in Westchester,” said Kunicki, the marketing director of La Grange Pointe, an upscale retirement community in downtown La Grange.
It got her thinking.
There were vacant units at La Grange Pointe, and there were people who may be in need of a roof over
their heads. She contacted her boss, Tony Casaccio.
“He said ‘Sure, let’s see if they need help for any seniors displaced,’” she said.
Kunicki tried to call Westchester police but could not get through, so she started driving to the Village Hall but was turned back by the flooded streets. So she returned and e-mailed every Westchester staff member whose address she could find.
It was about 15 minutes later when Maureen Pulia, wife of Village President Sam Pulia called. That evening, Westchester’s “first lady” brought five people to La Grange Pointe.
Prasino Restaurant, 93 W. La Grange Road, is located on the first floor of the La Grange Pointe complex. When its owners learned of the flood victims’ plight, they offered them three meals a day on the house, Kunicki said.
Prasino General Manager Peggy Maglaris-Kopley said she and her family never gave it a second thought.
“We’re a family-owned business. We’re Greek. We looked at it as if they were our own family,” she said.
“It’s just kind of a natural thing for us, something simple we could do to help. We had food, and they were here.”
Four of the victims stayed through the weekend.
One of those displaced persons just returned home about two weeks ago, Kunicki said.
“When I think back now I’m amazed we were able to pull this off, being that the phone lines were down and roads were closed,” Kunicki said.
— Staff writer Joe Sinopoli
Linda Kunicki was running an errand as the rains poured July 23 and knew right away it was going to be a weekend to remember.
“I was driving to Dominick’s grocery store in Westchester and I had my radio on and heard they were rescuing people in Westchester,” said Kunicki, the marketing director of La Grange Pointe, an upscale retirement community in downtown La Grange.
It got her thinking.
There were vacant units at La Grange Pointe, and there were people who may be in need of a roof over
their heads. She contacted her boss, Tony Casaccio.
“He said ‘Sure, let’s see if they need help for any seniors displaced,’” she said.
Kunicki tried to call Westchester police but could not get through, so she started driving to the Village Hall but was turned back by the flooded streets. So she returned and e-mailed every Westchester staff member whose address she could find.
It was about 15 minutes later when Maureen Pulia, wife of Village President Sam Pulia called. That evening, Westchester’s “first lady” brought five people to La Grange Pointe.
Prasino Restaurant, 93 W. La Grange Road, is located on the first floor of the La Grange Pointe complex. When its owners learned of the flood victims’ plight, they offered them three meals a day on the house, Kunicki said.
Prasino General Manager Peggy Maglaris-Kopley said she and her family never gave it a second thought.
“We’re a family-owned business. We’re Greek. We looked at it as if they were our own family,” she said.
“It’s just kind of a natural thing for us, something simple we could do to help. We had food, and they were here.”
Four of the victims stayed through the weekend.
One of those displaced persons just returned home about two weeks ago, Kunicki said.
“When I think back now I’m amazed we were able to pull this off, being that the phone lines were down and roads were closed,” Kunicki said.
— Staff writer Joe Sinopoli
