Two Chicago families who lost their homes and everything in them in a fire, have discovered how much their Catholic school family cares.
When tragedy struck, the school went to work.
"We went outside of our own space and reached out to all other Catholic schools In our community who just stepped up and began to support our families with all sorts of love and donations and compassion," said Nilma Osiecki, the St. Bartholomew principal., gutted a three-flat building, impacting three families who are all related. They lost everything including two of their beloved pets: Bella the cat and Gigi the dog.
During Catholic Schools Week, students at St. Ferdinand School, in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood, held a fundraiser, selling miniature stuffed animal bracelets. The $500 raised was used to buy clothing, toiletries and gift cards."I don't have words to say thank you so much to everyone, to my son's high school Notre Dame," Heromi Romano, who has six children, said. "The principal [was] here the same day.