Teaneck Local provides a lifeline Members take up collection to provide clothing and supplies for family ravaged by fire
n BY NICK SWEDBERG
An elderly couple was spending their Sunday morning, Jan. 28, inside the home they had shared for more than 40 years when it caught fire and quickly grew into a three-alarm blaze.
Despite the best efforts of firefighters, the fire became so intense so fast that the couple was unable to escape before the building collapsed. Two officers from Teaneck Local 215 were first on the scene and suffered smoke inhalation. Making matters worse, the fire spread and set a neighboring home ablaze.
Local 215 State Delegate Charlie Antinori drove to the scene when he heard two of his own had to be treated for smoke inhalation. He said that was when he realized what had happened to the people living next door.
“ I saw the family kind of milling around on their front lawn,” Antinori said.
The Schreck family- Mike, Tina, Michael, Juliana, Niki and their dog Louie- lost nearly everything when the fire jumped to their house. Firefighters battled the flames, but fire and water damage ended up taking a huge toll on their belongings and their well-being.
But out of the enormous tragedy emerged an opportunity for Teaneck Local members to lend a hand to this family in need. Local members put out a call for help that started out when Antinori planted the idea of supporting the family with local media.
The news story on the website for WPIX Channel 11 included the headline“ Local police are trying to help the kids get something to wear to school.” Area TV stations reported that Local 215 had begun to collect clothing, shoes and other essentials for the Schreck family.
“ The media can often be the worst enemy with the way they report on cops,” Antinori said.“ But this was a way to use them as a tool to … get the community to help us,” The effort ballooned from there.“ Although a lot of things were covered by insurance, you have to get to school the next day, you have to get to work the next day,” Antinori said.
Carloads of donations gathered by PBA members were delivered to the Schreck family by the Monday after the weekend fire. Antinori said he filled his car five times. Excess items were donated to Crime Stoppers. Mike and Tina Schreck are working with Local 215 to set up a clothing drive in the spring at their children’ s school. And a GoFundMe page established to help the family restore some normalcy drew $ 22,000 in donations, more than double the initial goal.
“ Your prayers, cards, phone calls, emails, text messages, and love have all been received and all have been so comforting during this time of adversity,” reads a post from the family.“ We certainly have a long year ahead of us, and it’ s comforting to know that we are not alone.” d
16 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2018
Teaneck Local 215 members helped collect clothing and other supplies for the Schreck family, whose home was damaged in a fire on Jan. 28.