Valley turns out to assist family after tragic South Side fire

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

alcorn@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Caring people by the hundreds bought $8 pasta dinners at Flambeau’s Live on Tuesday at a fundraiser to help with funeral expenses for family of the five children who died in a Dec. 9 fire on Parkcliffe Avenue.

People lined up at 3:15 p.m. for an event scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Vehicles were parked for blocks on surrounding streets and in the parking lots of nearby businesses and establishments.

Penny Wells of the Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past group said a fund the group has set up to help pay for funeral expenses reached $16,000 over the weekend.

Tuesday’s event, organized by Wells, Youngstown Councilwoman Anita Davis, Derrick McDowell, a Sojourn board member, and the Rev. Lewis Macklin, was expected to raise several thousand dollars more.

Among the small army of people who volunteered their help at the fundraiser was Pearl Neely, who suffered the loss of seven members of her family in a 1993 house fire, including three children, her parents and a niece and a nephew.

Flambeau's fundraiser for fire victims

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“I understand what the family is going through. That’s why I’m volunteering,” said Neely, who said she is still in counseling.

Among other volunteers were Kira Walker, a Youngstown Early College student, and Savannah Sockwell of Youngstown, a senior at Ohio State University. Both women participated in Sojourn to the Past organization.

“Part of Sojourn is helping where you can. I feel for that family. No one should not have enough money to bury their children,” said Walker.

Sockwell said her Sojourn experience was life-changing.

“If it weren’t for Penny Walker and Mary Brown, a teacher and guidance counselor, I don’t know what my life would have been,” said Sockwell, who helped set up tables, collect donations and do whatever was needed.

Among those waiting in line to be served were U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, and the Rev. Ernest Ellis, who grew up in Youngstown and is pastor of Antioch Baptist Church on Funston Street.

“I have to support the family and ease the burden of their funeral costs,” said the Rev. Mr. Ellis.

“It’s so sad. The deaths of those children have touched the whole community. It is great to see the community behind the family,” said Ryan.

The mother of the children, Amy Negron Acevedo, escaped the fire and spent a couple of days last week in a Cleveland hospital recovering before she was released.

“I just want to help out,” said Jean Toles of Braceville.

“I’m just here to support the family,” said Anna Reeves of Youngstown.

“We have children of our own. It’s hard to fathom,” said Breanna Mahon of Boardman, wife of Youngstown Fire Department Lt. Michael Mahon.

“We want to help in any way we can,” she said.

Other fundraisers for the family are planned.

An All Star Benefit Concert is from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday in the East High School auditorium at which several local artists are scheduled to perform. All proceeds will be given to the family through Sojourn to the Past. Also, East Side Crime Watch, 1001 Oak St., at the corner of Fruit Street, will host a fish dinner fundraiser to benefit the family from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. The cost is $8. Call Annie Hall at 330-742-4880 or 330-719-9142 for information.