Letter: Thanks for 708 vote

I am writing to thank the residents of Wheeling Township for voting to create a 708 Community Mental Health board in Wheeling Township. This means a great deal to me personally, and also to so many who worked hard to make this happen.

Many people have reached out to me, thrilled that the referendum passed, and excited to see just how much more will be achieved in our community. I believe people voted for this not just because of their generous spirits, but because they recognized the need and want to help their neighbors, friends and even their own families.

The fact that the majority of voters in our community were willing to vote themselves a small tax increase in order to help others, fills me with hope for the future.

The process of creating the new board and making these changes will take time. The first step will be to appoint the board members, which must be done within 60 days of Dec. 6. For those that would like to know more about the process, I encourage them to reach out not only to myself and our group of advocates, but also to contact the Wheeling Township board and attend their meetings to see and hear first hand what their plans are as they are developed.

Thank you again to our community for making this happen.

Lorri Grainawi

Arlington Heights