Because LeRoy Hawk of Saylorsburg has shown his care and concerns for his neighbors all his life, his neighbors, friends and family now want to show him how much they care for him.

Hawk lost his two-story home on Princess Run Road and its contents to a devastating fire on April 11. To help him recoup some of his losses, a benefit spaghetti dinner will be held on Saturday, April 7 from 4-7 p.m. at the Kunkletown Volunteer Fire Co.He's somewhat embarrassed by their kindness but says, "I appreciate everything people are doing for me" and will be at the dinner."He's the kind of guy who would do anything for you. He's so devoted to his customers that he hates to go too far from home in case they need him," says Judy and Bill Frantz, two of the coordinators of the dinner.Hawk owns his own plumbing business."He has done so much for us. He always finds time to help us," says benefit coordinator Russ Gould."LeRoy has gone beyond the call of duty to help the people of the West End. If anyone deserves help, it's LeRoy. No one should lose their home. We just felt like we had to do something for him," says another coordinator, Garry Shupp.A 1963 Pleasant Valley graduate, Hawk is a quiet, unassuming single man, having never married."Independent," he softly smiles as he describes himself.As he stands near the charred ruins of the only home he has ever known in his 66 years, he talks about the history of the farm.John Young settled on the property but it was Peter Young who is credited with building the first home on the site in the late 1700s. When LeRoy's grandparents, George and Amelia Jane Hawk bought the farm 97 years ago in 1914, he built the home that was recently destroyed. George had taken timber from the property and a local saw mill owner, Will Gower, lumbered it for him. But hand-hewn logs from the original Young home were used as support in the basement."You want to build a good house? Look at how that was built," he says as he points out the thick wood wall that still stands and the huge support beams that are badly burned, but still supporting the shell of the home."It's because it was built with lathe and plaster. It was like putting a big log on the fire. It takes a long time to burn. Some of these walls were solid wood."In 1944, George's son, Raymond Hawk purchased the home from his mother. He and his wife, Violet, raised their five children, LeRoy, Marion Davis (Saylorsburg), Ethel Warner (York), Fern Boyce (Tunkhannock), and Marvin (deceased) in the home on 65 acres.As the others married and left home, LeRoy, the fourth of the five children, remained at the homestead. After his mother died, the home was put into a family trust and is owned by all the Hawk siblings.Hawk will never forget the April morning he got a phone call from his sister, Marion. Someone had driven by and saw the home engulfed in flames, called 9-1-1 and stopped at Marion's house, which is nearby on Turkey Hill Road. Marion also called 9-1-1. Then she called Hawk."I was working at Carl Gould's in Brodheadsville at the time. I was shocked. My immediate concern was to get home as fast as possible. Something within takes over. I actually followed a firefighter on the way so I got here really fast."It was too late. The fire was too far gone. What happens doesn't really sink in until later," he says.The fire marshals believe the fire began in a receptacle in the kitchen, where the most damage was.He admits to "feeling pretty sad and depressed" at the time. He lost many things in the fire, including all his clothes. Members of the community quickly came forward to donate pants, shirts and coats for him.Afterward, he was able to pull some things and papers out. Like a clipboard with $150 in cash and three checks attached to it, unharmed. He even found some photos that weren't too badly damaged. He's glad his sister had made copies of several old family photographs and kept them.The home is insured. But some things are irreplaceable, like his dear friend and companion, Muffin, his 12-year-old shih tzu."That's very hard," he says.He walks over to a container filled with pennies being cleansed by rain water."I found them but the container they were in was plastic and gone," he says as he picks some black melted plastic off some of the coins.The remnants of an old children's book lies next to a tablet of LeRoy's business billhead, remarkably intact but badly water damaged.Until he decides what to do next, he is living with his sister, Marion."I have many thoughts. I'd like to put it back the way it was. But that's not practical."Because the home was in a family trust, it will all depend on what the rest of the family decides."You just make up your mind to move on. You accept it."