Morgantown community comes together for a family that is usually helping others

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) -The Morgantown community rallies together for a family that is usually giving back to others.

Co-founder of Pantry Plus More, Roark Sizemore, woke up to screams from his mother on Sunday afternoon saying the house was on fire.

Sizemore had been sick for a few days and fell asleep after taking cold medicine.

Meanwhile, his mom and nephew had gone out for a while and returned to the smoke.

“They left to go get food for a while. When they returned to the house. They got into like the garage/kitchen area and saw smoke,” Sizemore explained.

He said his nephew called 911 while his mom was searching for the cat and dog and yelling to wake Sizemore up.

Luckily the family got out safely, but unfortunately, the pets did not.

Sizemore said as soon as his friends heard about the fire, they came straight to the house and took his mom somewhere safe.

“It’s like a lifetime of memories in there. It’s the only home I’ve ever known. So, it was a really tough day, and it was nice to be able to have them take her and get her out of there. They set her up in a hotel and got her settled,” he explained.

Sizemore’s family is known in the community for their acceptance and willingness to help others. Some even call Sizemore’s mother their second mom.

“She’d help you deal with the world whatever you’re going through. So, a lot of the folks that were right there to help us were all people that grew up in that house too that had their own memories there,” he said.

The house was almost a total loss, with the exception of the basement, but nothing could be salvaged.

The family is currently staying in a rental. Thanks to the gratuity of friends.

A gofundme was created to help the family get back on their feet and into a permanent home.

The Boston Beanery is also hosting a fundraiser on June 20 between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., where 50% of proceeds will go to the family.

Copyright 2023 WDTV. All rights reserved.