Helping Hand Regroups after Fire, Flood Devastate Shop

It seemed that things couldn’t get much worse Thursday after five feet of water from the torrential storms flooded into the Helping Hand Thrift Shop in Brookfield.

But at about 11 p.m., a fire started in the shop, the proceeds of which benefit the Helping Hand Center for people with disabilities.

“It completely wiped out pretty much the entire shop,” said Julie Bosso, director of marketing for the Countryside-based nonprofit.

The physical loss of the community’s generous donations is tough, Bosso said.

But the real tragedy, she said, is how the fire stripped away a shop that served as a second home for three employees and 25 volunteers, most of whom have developmental disabilities.

“The thing we hold very dear is that it served as a training facility so they could get experience working in retail and find employment in the community,” she said.

Many of the volunteers have spent years in the shop, including a pair of sisters who gave their time for 21 and 19 years, respectively.

“It’s a routine, and I think that’s what they love,” Bosso said.

No one was in the shop or the second-floor apartment where Helping Hand clients sometimes live, Bosso said, and no one was injured. Investigators were scheduled to assess the damage Monday afternoon. The fire appeared to have started as a result of an electrical problem, Brookfield Fire Chief Patrick Lenzi told the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark on Friday.

Helping Hand is focusing now on finding new places for the shops volunteers and employees to serve. It’s unclear at this point if and when the shop will reopen, Bosso said. But one thing is certain.

“We will continue to serve the Brookfield community,” she said.

If you would like to donate financial support to Helping Hand, call 708-352-3580 or visit hhcenter.org. The organization is not accepting donated items at this time.