On Jan. 27, a devastating fire ripped through Christine and Jeffrey Polynone's house at 35 Cider Press Road in Manheim. Although the couple managed to escape, the house was destroyed. Now, their daughter Michelle Levengood is organizing a fundraiser to help the couple rebuild and recover.

"I grew up in that house," said Levengood, who has three siblings. "It was a total loss. They were able to get out with the dog, but one of their cats died in the fire. The other was seriously burned and is in the care of White Oaks Veterinary Hospital."

The Polynones are lifelong residents of the Manheim area. They did not have insurance on their home. "My mother tried to get homeowner's insurance, but they wouldn't cover her because of the heating source in the home," Levengood explained. "She also tried to get renter's insurance, but she was denied."

Jeffrey, who has colon cancer, is on disability. Christine works for the United States Postal Service. "My mom and dad are very humble people," Levengood stated. "They are not the type of people to ask for handouts or donations. They would give the shirt off their backs for someone. I just wanted to do something to help them out."

She set a goal of $100,000 to help her parents build a new home, even though her parents resisted asking for help. At press time, her GoFundMe page had raised close to $5,000. She also created a Venmo account to accept monetary donations, and she said she's been overwhelmed by community support for her parents.

"There have been so many people who have supported this, whether they are donating money or household items or just sending prayers," she said. Although donations of items are appreciated, she noted that she currently has nowhere to store them, so she is looking for monetary donations instead.

Levengood is the chief operations officer of Mako Construction in Palmyra, and the company donated its excavation services to clean up the site of the fire. The Red Cross donated money to help the couple with clothing, food and toiletries.

Currently, Jeffrey and Chrstine are staying with Levengood's sister in Mount Joy, but they are looking for a more permanent solution. "They are pretty much homeless right now," Levengood noted. "They need to find a place to live while they raise money to rebuild, and it needs to be a place that's pet friendly."

Losing everything in the fire has been devastating for the family, she stated. "My mom had items from my pop-pop, who served in Vietnam. There were things that are irreplaceable," she said. "We're taking this day by day and just trying to keep looking ahead."

To make a donation to the Polynones, readers may contact Levengood at 717-490-1380.