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First Step Seeks Funds to Rebuild After Fire
Non-profit unable to accept any new residents following Penny St. blaze
By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
April 03, 2023
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Courtesy First Step Recovery Homes Inc. via GoFundMe)
A fire that damaged an apartment building on Penny Steet last week has left First Step Recovery Homes Inc. temporarily unable to accept any new residents.
The charitable organization, which helps people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, is waiting to find out if insurance will cover its losses, said Keith Giles, founder of First Step. The city-based non-profit has created a GoFundMe to raise additional money, he said.
Four residents were displaced by the fire, which began Wednesday night at the rear of a wood-frame two-story house at 330 Penny St., destroying the back porch, traveling up the back wall, and damaging the roof and attic. The cause of the fire is under investigation but McKeesport fire officials said last week it is not considered suspicious.
“Nobody was hurt, and I want to say thank you to the fire department and first responders,” Giles said. “They were on the scene in less than 10 minutes and they stopped that fire from spreading to the garage next door.”
First Step’s offices, which abut the garage, also were undamaged.
Residents of the apartments lost clothing, medication and other personal items, he said. “They were able to salvage a few things,” Giles said. The closure of the building also means that First Step is closed to any new tenants, he said.
“We were supposed to move three people in (Friday) and Monday,” Giles said, “Now, we’re at capacity. We’re not able to move anyone in.”
A contractor is evaluating the damage to the building and will provide an estimate on repairs, he said. A claims adjustor for the insurance company also visited the structure but was unable to say whether or not it could be salvaged, Giles said.
The insurance money “will help us a little bit, but it doesn’t help us today,” he said.
Originally published April 03, 2023.
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