Grandmother put at square one by fire

Noreen never thought she would end up sleeping on the floor.

But when the 58-year-old grandmother lost everything in a fire at her North Side apartment, a good bed was what she needed most.

After the fire, Noreen moved in with her daughter in the East suburbs, but the lack of space caused family turmoil that normally would not have been a problem.

"I knew I had to move, but I didn't know where or how that was going to happen. I was so frustrated," she said.

Noreen had lived alone for many years, had raised her children and enjoyed visits from her grandchildren, but now she was starting over from scratch.

"At my age, this is a scary thing," she said.

When her housing application was approved, Noreen said she was happy to have her own address again, but she had next to nothing to move into the new apartment.

A friend found out she was sleeping on the floor and gave her a cot, but the mattress was not good. Noreen suffers from a lung condition and uses a portable oxygen tank.

She contacted the Salvation Army for help and when a social worker asked what her most pressing problem was, she said, "If I could just get a bed, I could get a peaceful night's rest."

The Salvation Army provided her a bed.

This year, Operation Santa Claus will provide Noreen, as well as to 7,840 other families in a four-county area served by 26 Salvation Army units, with Christmas dinner. More than 9,385 children also will be presented with holiday stockings.

Each grocery bag contains the ingredients for a complete holiday meal, including a gift certificate valued at $10 for a meat item of the family's choice.

Also on the menu: scalloped potatoes, stuffing, green beans, whole kernel corn, fruit-flavored gelatin, fruit cocktail, applesauce, blueberry muffins, snack crackers, holiday cookies and hot cocoa.

Each stocking contains an assortment of sweets and treats, including crayons and activity books suitable for children 12 and younger. In addition, in most instances parents will be able to select a book for each of their children from the thousands of books donated to the holiday campaign.