Fire Destruction Inspires Good Will

Walking by her neighbor’s house and seeing it boarded up after a made 13-year-old Bailyn Bench sad.

Last Friday, Bailyn’s neighbors, the Hepingers, lost their home in the Fox Run neighborhood to an early-morning fire. Although the Hepingers -- Bill, his grown children, Evey and Jim, and their three dogs -- escaped without injury, they lost everything inside the home to fire and water damage.

“It made me feel so sad and helpless walking by,” Bailyn said, “I just really wanted to do something.”

When she got home, Bailyn started bouncing ideas off her 15-year-old brother, Brennan.

“He told me that insurance will take care of a lot of things, but what about donations for things they need now, things like toiletries,” she said.

In addition to the Hepingers being their neighbors, Evey Hepinger used to babysit the Bench children.

“But most of all, they are our neighbors,” said Bailyn’s mother, Christine Bench.

As Bailyn talked with her family, including her father, Bill Bench, the project evolved. Bailyn realized other fire victims also are in similar circumstances.

“Victims of Fire” was born.

“I want to help them [the Hepingers], but I want to help other people too,” Bailyn said.  

Bailyn created a flier seeking donations, and last Sunday morning she and her mother delivered them to more than 250 houses in their area.

“When we came home from a Super Bowl party, there were bags of donations sitting in front of our house,” Christine Bench said. “We even had two huge bags of dog food for their dogs.”

The Hepingers have been fortunate enough to find a house to rent in the neighborhood, across the street from the Bench family.

“We are really lucky because we can keep an eye on the progress at the house and we are where we feel comfortable,” Evey Hepinger said.

The house will be gutted and rebuilt over the next four to six months, according to Bill Hepinger.

But it has been a rough time for the family.

Evey lost her boyfriend six months ago to lung cancer and her mother, Francis Hepinger, has had health issues. She currently is recovering from surgery at Harmarville Rehabilitation Center.

“Thankfully, she wasn’t at the house [during the fire], because it would have been difficult getting her out of there,” Bill Hepinger said.

Thursday night, Bailyn and her family handed over the donations to the Hepinger family.

“We’ve had a tough time, but we have great neighbors. This is so nice, but I have to say, I’m not surprised. This is the neighborhood,” Bill Hepinger said.

The Hepingers have lived in their house for 26 years.

Bailyn, an eighth-grade student at Seneca Valley Middle School, plans to continue her project to assist families who have lost their homes to fires.

“We will take things and make packages that we can just deliver to fire victims,” she said.

In addition to using duplicates of supplies she recently has collected, she plans to reach out to school and scouting groups to aid her in collecting more items. She also is contacting local police and fire departments to help her identify other families in need.

To make donations for the Hepingers or other fire victims, contact Bailyn at victimsoffire@zoominternet.net.