As I sit here today reflecting on the horrific events of the Dec. 10 tornado in Edwardsville and the opportunity I had to lead a team to assist that stricken county, I can’t help but look forward to Christmas.

Some of you know that I serve in several different capacities, but one that I have come to thoroughly enjoy is incident management. Last Friday night, I received a call from our counterparts in Madison County regarding the collapse of the Amazon building in their county.

The information provided to me in the middle of the night was very dire and the request was quickly answered. In short order, myself and two other members of the Northwest Illinois Incident Management team deployed to Madison County. We are an advanced team and I tasked our group with establishing a footprint to determine future needs.

Saturday morning as the recovery efforts continued and multiple agencies responded, our full team arrived each with their specific job. We helped with planning future operational periods, organizing the current operation, and maintaining safety plans throughout the incident. We all served in a position that provides professional experience to those in need.

While the outcome was difficult, words cannot express the true significance of the loss of those six lives. 

As Christmas quickly approaches so does the phrase “season of giving.” We live in a great community, but there is always a need. Each one of us has a special ability, and ability to fill an unmet need.

I would challenge each one of you to reflect within yourself, to see what needs you can fill whether it is volunteering to cook a meal, running the cash register at a local not-for-profit or giving your time to just sit with someone in need. 

We all have a gift to give. My goal is always to challenge neighbors, as well as myself to make our communities better for the next generation by helping those in need. We all have that ability, but it requires us to reflect and take the time to give back to our communities. My hope is that you have a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.

Brian VanVickle is the Sheriff of Ogle County.