A Tree Grows in La Grange

An arboretum of sorts has sprung up in a vacant downtown La Grange storefront with the help of a local real estate owner and the .

Visitors walking by 8 S. La Grange Rd.—formerly —will see a newly "planted" tree in the window. For Terri Rivera and Marc Cella, it's a great way to spread the word about the work that Community Nurse does and to bring some attention to a storefront with a lot of potential.

“I think it’s the perfect partnership between a business owner and local non-profit,” said Terri Rivera, director of development for Community Nurse, in a press release. “[Cella] is letting us bring attention to our cause and we’re bringing attention to the stunning space he owns.”

Community Nurse celebrated its 90th anniversary in October on Calendar Avenue where their original building once stood. Local artist, Laura May Noble, created the stunning, handcrafted tree for the event. The tree has now been relocated to its new home on La Grange Road where it can continue to "bare fruit."

Opening up his vacant storefront to display the tree made sense to MDC Properties, Inc owner Marc Cella as a great idea too.

"“I was happy to donate the space to support Community Nurse,” Cella said. “It’s a win-win for both of us to gain visibility in downtown LaGrange.”

Community Nurse works with the community to provide health and dental care to low-income and uninsured residents of the western suburbs.

It's just another example of when people come together to work on ideas the benefits to the community continue to bloom.