EPCHS students help PAWS recover from fire

Evergreen Park Community High School held a food drive to help the animals in need after a fire broke out last month at PAWS animal shelter, 8301 W. 191st St., Tinley Park.

By Kelly White

Dozens of cats and dogs were rescued after a fire broke out at PAWS last month.

On the evening of Wednesday, January 17, firefighters responded immediately to a large dryer fire at the animal shelter at 8301 W. 191st St.

Fire crews and volunteers evacuated 55 cats and 42 dogs from the shelter, who were taken to Midwest Animal Hospital in neighboring Orland Park for observation, according to the Village of Tinley Public Safety Department. Thankfully, the fire did not spread beyond that laundry room, and some minor smoke damage appeared to be the worst of the damage.

Word spread quickly spread around the local area about the fire and the community sprinted into action, including students at Evergreen Park Community High School who held a food drive to help the animals in need.

“I’m an animal lover, and I know firsthand the important work that PAWS does to help nurse animals back to health and find them loving forever homes,” Amy Kazin, EPCHS’s Director of Activities and Fine Arts, said. “They rely strictly on donations to carry out their work, and a fire like that could have closed them down for good.”

Under Kazin’s guidance, students at EPCHS and their families brought in more than 150 pounds of dog food and more than 100 pounds of cat food, according to the shelter. The food donations were enough to feed more than 30 animals.

“Education is about much more than the academic subject areas,” Kazi said. “By providing students with opportunities to help those in need, it makes them more aware of the world around them.  There are multiple charitable projects that are sponsored by organizations at EPCHS each year. One of the things that was nice about this one is that it didn’t cost much to lend a hand. Even one can of food makes a difference for one of these animals and kids can feel good about that.”

Upon hearing about the fire on the local news, Kazin reached out to the Rahm family.

Siblings Hannah and Nolan Rahm are EPCHS music alums and have been involved with PAWS for many years. Nolan’s Eagle Project at the completion of his Boy Scout journey was to build a storage shed for donations that PAWS collects.  The Rahm siblings indicated that a food drive would be the best way for EPCHS students to help meet future needs of the shelter as they recover from the fire.

“I’ve been volunteering at PAWS since I was little,” Hannah Rahn, 23, of Freeport, said. “My family has been involved in the shelter for over 15 years and it’s a whole family affair. I spent my childhood and teens volunteering, creating some good there. I love the shelter and miss going there every Saturday morning, my old volunteer shift, now that I’ve moved away.”

Hannah, who graduated from EPCHS in 2019 said PAWS is more than just a group of people, it’s truly a home for animals and also a place for volunteers to grow into themselves. Most (in fact, almost all) of Rahms’ animals are from PAWS, be they foster failures or just adopted.

“My dad also is on the board and dedicates tons of time to helping the animals and shelter run,” Hannah sad. “When we heard about the fire, my dad and brother were on their way within minutes, prepared to go in and evacuate animals if need be. PAWS is an extension of our home, and the animals are super important to us.”

Aside from food, the donations from the EPCHS community also included treats, blankets and more than 100 toys to entertain the animals. Students dropped off canned food and pet toys as they came to school.  The public also had an opportunity to drop off donations at school if they chose to do so.  The collection drive ran for only a week because we wanted to get the supplies to the shelter quickly.

The Rahm family picked up 250 pounds of food and over 100 pet toys from EPCHS this month.

The displaced animals from PAWS are now placed in foster care until they are adopted. PAWS provides all food and supplies necessary to the foster families. The donations collected were immediately made available to those foster families.

“It’s been wonderful to see the public respond so generously so that they can continue their mission, and I’m glad that Evergreen Park could lend a hand,” Kazin said.