Community Pulse: Provide a gently used toy to help those in need

Soon we will celebrate Thanksgiving with our families and friends. The wonderful season of Christmas follows and more of us will busy ourselves with the purchasing of gifts for our loved ones.

While we do so, please remember that there is a growing number of children who will not be so fortunate to receive gifts this holiday season.

Providing a gently used toy that your children or grandchildren are no longer playing with or have outgrown is a great gift of love to another. This is a great lesson to our children to give of their hearts to another this year as well.

To provide gently used toys to these underprivileged children in our community and in others, we will begin our Gently Used Toy Drive on November 22 through December 13. This annual event marks 17 years of collections and has shown the generosity of the community as we always collect over 100 boxes and several bags of stuffed animals.

Our Environmental Resource and Conservation Office of the Land Use Department wants our community to make reuse a priority this season by giving gently used toys, games, videos (DVDs only), puzzles, and books to our annual Gently Used Toy Drive. Please refrain from donating recalled toys or badly damaged toys as we will not be able to give those toys away.

Our collection sites will be at all local libraries in Grundy and at our Administration Building located at 1320 Union Street during normal business hours. Once toys are being collected, we will start to distribute some toys to the children in our community based on the Health Department and to the Gardner Church of Hope. At the end of the drive, International Rotary will come and pick up the rest for distribution to the poorest areas in the northern suburbs.

Please donate your gently used toys to the following locations:

Grundy County Administration Building – 1320 Union, Morris

Coal City Public Library – 85 N. Garfield, Coal City

Morris Public Library – 604 Liberty, Morris

Minooka Three Rivers Library – 109 N. Wabena, Minooka

Channahon Three Rivers Library – 25207 W. Channahon Drive, Channahon

Fossil Ridge Library – 386 W. Kennedy Road, Braidwood

Thank you, Grundy County residents, in advance for your generous hearts this season. The children are always very appreciative in receiving them.

Winter Preparation:

The Land Use Department’s other office is the Building Office.

A few things we should look at for our homes before the seasons change dramatically are the following:

1) Chimney cleaning and checking: A nice fire is great for a nice evening at home. However, fireplace flues can be potentially dangerous. Creosote which is unburned buildup may layer on the inside of the flue and if heated enough may catch on fire. Even with proper construction of that fireplace flue, fire may spread through the fireplace chase and through to the floor assemblies. Chimneys should be cleaned by a professional once a year or more often if it is used more frequently.

2) Windows: Taking out screens and cleaning the window glass is a good chore for the fall. It also provides a good opportunity to check the exterior of the framing of the window for any gaps or seals that may need recaulking or repair. Caulk should be rated for outdoor use and be guaranteed for many years.

3) Gutters and downspouts should be thoroughly cleaned to allow for proper flow and help to prevent potential ice jams from damaging the roof.

4) Change the filter in your forced air furnace and consider having it checked by an HVAC professional to ensure proper functioning. Cleaning of the ductworks should be completed every three to five years according to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). This helps your unit run more efficiently plus helps to increase the air quality by removing potential pet hair, pollen, or mold spores.

5) Turn off all outside faucets and drain/store all hoses.

6) Check all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to see if batteries are functional and replace. All units that are non-functional should be replaced. To ensure good protection, place the smoke detectors in each bedroom, and in hallways leading to the bedrooms, plus all levels. Carbon monoxide detectors shall follow the installation instructions.

7) Any supplemental heaters used within the home should be dedicated for that use. Follow all instructions for the labeled units.

8) Switch the direction of your interior ceiling fans such that the air is brought directly down. This will bring the warmer air down into the room for better circulation and overall efficiency.

9) Any items in which you may not know how to properly recycle or dispose of, please check our Green Guide which is located on the Grundy County Land Use Department homepage. This guide is updated by our Assistant Ms. Beth Skoff yearly. It provides interactive games for kids to play and for families to learn more about as well.

We are here to assist you Grundy County residents with your questions concerning the goals of the Land Use Department.

Beth, Bob and I all wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to a new year in 2025 for environmental events.

Please feel to contact my office either by email at hmiller@grundyco.org or (815) 941-3229 if there are any questions.

Thank you, Grundy County, for being environmental stewards. Love your Earth!