CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A couple on Chicago's Northwest Side have opened their closets to help those who have only recently arrived in this country.
“Basically, I had a garage sale because I was off work due to an injury,” said Frank Schmeda. “It really turned into more of a — not a charity — but more of a necessity.”
Schmeda lives at the intersection of Hiawatha and LaCrosse Avenues, which is right across the street from a Department of Human Services building.
“There’s been a lot more traffic,” he said. “Foot traffic, vehicle traffic. We decided to do the garage sale on a Friday. I noticed everybody has a backpack, and I kind of was questioning that, and then with a friend of mine from work, a little translation, I realized most of these people — that’s all they have. They’re migrants, they’re coming here for some kind of aid.”
The garage sale transformed into a table and some bins, with signs in English and Spanish, where Schmeda and his girlfriend Heather Brune-Collins have been giving away free clothes, food and candy to those who need it.
“Shoes, socks, shirts, anything we can do,” Schmeda said. “The second we put stuff down, we turned around and there was 10 – 15 people out there.”
Others in the neighborhood have also pitched in to donate clothes for the giveaway, which is ongoing.
Schmeda said it's about emptying the closets and giving people a chance.
“All of the dress stuff I have that I’ve worn out of,” he said. “These guys probably have to go to interviews and stuff like that, so I’ve got collared shirts, I’ve got dress shirts … I’m not even lying: 10-plus years in my closet. What are you going to show up in for an interview? You’ve got to wear something nice, so we’re going to give away the dress stuff now.”
It's estimated that more than 12,000 people have arrived in Chicago since August 2022, mostly from Central and South America.
Brune-Collins said it’s important to “give back when you can.”
“I’m just really happy to see these guys getting some assistance, whatever we can do,” she said. “Even their little kids — when it’s hot, cold, whatever — they’re sitting outside for hours on end. Just to give them a water, a snack, or a popsicle, some shoes, some clothes, whatever can help them out.”
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