Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
The Chicago Fire Department responed to a fire around 3:30 a.m. in the 6300-block of South Central Avenue.
Flames engulfed the building, which the fire department now says is a total loss.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries, but is expected to be OK.
Employees of the business said it was Georgis Catering, which has been serving the city for 77 years. The business served meals for private planes at Midway and also worked with Meals on Wheels. Employees said about 2,000 meals for Meals on Wheels would not be distributed Friday.
Meals on Wheels Foundation of Northern Illinois said they do have emergency boxes prepared for those residents Friday. They are working to find another food provider for their seniors on Monday.
Meals On Wheels eleased a statement saying, “We are devastated at the loss that our catering partner, George “Buz” Georgis at Georgis Catering has endured. For over a decade, Georgis Catering has provided nearly 10,000 meals per week to Cook County’s most vulnerable seniors. Buz is a kind soul who has always shown up for our clients, and
Georgis Catering truly helped make a difference in our communities. Our programs serve almost 7,000 older adults and individuals with disabilities, and with Buz’s partnership we were on track to serve 700,000 meals in Cook County and nearly 1,000,000 meals program wide this year.
“At our eight sites in Cook County in Brookfield, Berwyn, Hometown, South Chicago Heights, Phoenix, Lemont Township, and at one of our stand-alone cafés in Dolton, our clients will not receive hot meals today. While they will be provided with emergency shelf stable meals, we are searching for a new caterer and trying to connect with local restaurants as quickly as we can. Our programs in Will, Kendall, and Grundy counties will continue as usual.
“We have been in touch with Buz and we hope that the community can support him as he has supported them in the past. Community members who want to support the seniors in Cook County and make sure we can quickly return to providing hot meals can contribute their time or make a donation to the Meals on Wheels Foundation of Northern Illinois. For interest in volunteering or making a gift, reach out to Zoraima Yoli at 224-471-9936 or at zcruz@mowfni.org.”