The organizations will host a joint fundraiser April 11 to support their emergency clothing and furniture programs.

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — When a house fire forces families from their homes, local groups say many leave with little more than the clothes they are wearing.

In 2025, Pennsylvania recorded 152 deaths from house fires, the highest total in the nation, according to the United States Fire Administration. So far this year, 26 fire deaths have been reported nationwide.

While fatalities often draw attention, displacement can leave survivors scrambling for basic necessities in the hours and days after a disaster. Beyond the fatalities, families who survive fires often face immediate needs for clothing, shelter and household items.

Joey Baker founded Joey’s Closet after witnessing those gaps firsthand. 

“We had a family, it was 2 in the morning, they literally lost everything. They had the clothes on their backs, and, obviously, they are smelling like smoke and soot. Community thrifts and Goodwills and all that aren’t open in that moment,” Baker said. “It was then I decided I needed somewhere I could bring a family no matter what time of day or night it was.”

Joey’s Closet provides emergency clothing and essential items to families displaced by fires, floods and other disasters. Baker said the organization was created to ensure families have access to help at any hour. She works with Major Restoration, who partners with her as a disaster recovery coordinator. 

“I’ve probably been to more fires than I can count, sadly. But you want to be there. You want to be there with compassion. You want to be victim-focused,” Baker said. 

“My role with that is to take people’s worst day and try to give them some dignity and compassion and be able to hook them up with immediate necessities like clothing, toiletries [and] blankets [and] make sure they have a place to stay, and then I can turn them over to my partner, Pashk, with Pennsylvania Furniture Mission,” Baker explained. 

After families secure temporary housing, the next challenge is furnishing a new space. The Pennsylvania Furniture Mission works to meet that need and serves families, veterans facing homelessness and other individuals experiencing economic hardships across south-central Pennsylvania within Lancaster, York, Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks and Cumberland counties. 

Led by Pashk Sokoli, the nonprofit collects donated furniture and household items and provides them to families transitioning into permanent housing. Since launching out of Columbia Borough in 2022, the group has furnished over 900 homes. 

“We want to reach the goal of fully furnishing 1,000 homes by May,” Sokoli said. 

Sokoli said awareness remains a challenge.

“People lose everything in a fire [or] in a flood. You lose everything. The problem with all of that is that the community doesn’t know all of this information.” 

Joey’s Closet and the Pennsylvania Furniture Mission are now operating under the same roof, allowing the organizations to coordinate services. Families can receive clothing and immediate essentials before later returning for furniture and household goods once they are ready to move into a new home. 

“We show up as victims’ advocates,” Baker said. “We are there to take care of you in that time of need and then help you understand what that process looks like afterwards.”

“When you help a family or an individual that feels helpless, that is one of the most beautiful things you can do in life,” Sokoli said.

The organizations will host a joint fundraiser April 11 to support their emergency clothing and furniture programs. Proceeds will help fund services for families displaced by fires and other disasters. They say if you have gently used household items, home decor, kitchenware, small furniture, tools, toys or working small appliances to consider donating them. Drop-off is directly at the Pennsylvania Furniture Mission in Columbia.