GETTING TO KNOW... CAROL SPALE North Riverside Neighborhood Services Coordinator
Q & A
WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff
Carol and Frank Spale with their son, David, at their home in North Riverside on January 19, 2017. How long have you been with the North Riverside Neighborhood Services? It’s been 24 years. Ever since we had the opportunity to give back to the community who helped us out. It started with a potluck that we hosted for the many people who helped out family, and then our former mayor asked us if we wanted to be involved with the organization. What brought you here, and what has kept you here? We had people from the village who helped us with our son David, who is now 37. David can’t walk or talk. People in the village treated us like family because of David.
We wrote former Mayor Scheck letting him know that people had helped us. Two years later, I started working with the organization, North Riverside Neighborhood Services. Today, we have more than 90 block captains, 1 for each block, to help people who might feel lonely or need a connection to the community. What gets you out of bed in the morning? David gets us out of bed, and the fact that we want to help people in trouble. I can call any of the block captains and have them drive someone, or move something or whatever someone may need. I have the privilege of
helping people. What keeps you awake at night? The same thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. I also email the block captains at night after I get David to bed and get my husband fed. I like to check in with the block captains about what we need, and a lot of this happens late at night. What do you love about North Riverside? I love the fact that it’s a small community with a big heart. I love the big heart that stretches around the village. We’ve established a network of caring around town. Neighbors become like family.
2017 Brookfield/Riverside/North Riverside Answer Book | 59