“Bad things,” my wise grandmother used to say, “often force some good things to happen.” This easily applies to all kinds of civil movements or associations. Neighborhood watches are typically founded after a series of crimes has hit the surrounding blocks.

Or take the example of Rock Creek Forest, my neighborhood on the border of Checvy Chase and Silver Spring: The recent debate over the new site for B-CC cluster middle school #2 lead to the realization that it would be great to once again have a functioning civic association for the neigborhood. The last one had slowly died in the 1990s.

Tonight, after a couple of gatherings by a smaller planning group, there will be the first public meeting at 7 pm at Rock Creek Forest Elementary School. It’s a potluck dinner–which was intended mainly as a great way to socialize. Since yesterday, the neighborhood dinner has taken on another meaning, though. A large fire in two of the garden apartment buildings at Round Hill–nestled against the park and the only apartments in the Chevy Chase part of Rock Creek Forest–rendered more than 20 families homeless. They are now all invited to the dinner, whether they’re interested in the Association or not.

Some of them have stayed at houses in the neighborhood last night, some others in an ad hoc Red Cross “camp” at the Coffield center. If you can help in any way, with clothing, food, shelter or donations to the Red Cross, come by at Rock Creek Forest ES tonight at 7 pm.

If It brings the neighborhood together, maybe at least one good thing will come from the devastating desaster.