Community members are banding together to support a Lower Burrell family after they were left homeless when a fire destroyed their Michigan Avenue home last week.

Less than 24 hours after the Wednesday blaze, Patrick Elston, co-owner of Gus Franco’s Pizza shop in Lower Burrell, began arranging a way to raise money for the family members in their time of need. He said he doesn’t know the family, which hasn’t been publicly identified, personally but wants to help in any way he can.

“(The fire) hit us hard because we sit on the corner of the same street and Leechburg Road,” Elston said. “It very well could have been us.”

Elston’s pizza shop has operated at Michigan Avenue and Leechburg Road for the past three years.

The shop is a few blocks from the home, which was gutted by the flames. Nine people reportedly lived in the home. Two were students in the Burrell School District.

Elston said his pizza shop fundraiser would start at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. He will sell pizzas in a “grab-and-go” style, and all profits will go to the family.

“We’re going to be making cheese and pepperoni pizzas as fast as we can,” Elston said.

He said some of his employees have offered to help with the event and donate the pay they would earn for those hours to the family. Elston said he has been in contact with Lower Burrell Mayor Chris Fabry to figure out traffic control for the fundraiser.

“A lot of people are feeling selfless and putting themselves in (the family’s) shoes,” Elston said. “We’re just trying to support some community members that have fallen on hard times.”

The event will be starting later because Elston and his employees will be spending the day making and delivering pizzas to first responders in remembrance of 9/11.

Greg Egnor, Burrell School District’s director of student services, previously told TribLive the family would be put in contact with the American Red Cross for needed social services.

Brittne Vickers has lived on Michigan Avenue off and on for most of her life. She had just left for work when her mother called her about the fire. Vickers’ parents live on the street as well.

Vickers said she saw photos of the fire before she got home from work. She wasn’t prepared for what seeing the damaged home in person would feel like.

“Seeing it in person was so surreal,” Vickers said. “I felt like I needed to do something.”

Much like Elston, less than a day after the fire and despite not knowing the family well, Vickers set up a clothing and gift card drive for the family.

She is asking for clothing for all nine people who lived in the house. Vickers said she has been in contact with the family. Since they don’t have anywhere to store cash at the moment, Vickers said gift cards would be best so the family can buy things as they need. She listed Target, Walmart, Dollar Tree, Dollar General and local pizza shops as the most helpful gift cards.

“Right now, they literally just had the clothes on their backs and the shoes on their feet,” Vickers said. “We’re collecting gift cards so they can buy things as they need them. We’re trying to get things together to get them through the next couple days.”

The Speed Family Blessing Box & Pantry accepting donations over the weekend. It will host more donation drop-offs Saturday and Sunday. Those times will be released once the dates get closer, Vickers said. She will be making an events page on Facebook for the upcoming collections and any updates about the situation.

The Lower Burrell Flyers, the community’s youth cheer and football organization, also are joining in on the giving.

Jessica Horwatt, a board member of the Flyers, said one of the children from the fire is a member of the organization’s “plebe team.” The program is hosting a clothing and gift card drive for the family. Donations can be dropped off from 5 to 7:30 p.m. through Thursday at the Flyers’ field off Route 56. All proceeds from the 50-50 raffles at the group’s weekend games is being donated to the family.

“We have such a nice little community,” Vickers said. “Even when a tragic thing happens, everyone is willing to jump in and help.”

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