Amanda Neidlinger and her son, Nathaniel, escaped their burning home with their lives last month. The early morning fire claimed everything - their home, three dogs and even melted a vehicle in the driveway.

Only a shell of a home remained after firefighters quelled the flames in Lausanne Township the morning of Jan. 15.

“It was horrific,” said Sharlene Strauss, Neidlinger’s mother.

Both Amanda Neidlinger and her son were taken to the hospital, and she was admitted for a day for smoke inhalation, Strauss said.

Nathaniel, a senior at MMI Preparatory School in Foster Township, fared better, because he had learned in school to get low in a smoke-filled structure, and crawled from the burning home, she said.

His mother also tried to go back to save their pets, Strauss said.

Even as Amanda began to recover, people in the close-knit community began trying to help the mother and son.

The latest fundraiser is a benefit spaghetti dinner and basket raffle hosted by the Lehigh & Lausanne Rural Volunteer Fire Co., 390 S. Lehigh Gorge Drive, Weatherly, on Feb. 17 from 1 to 5 p.m.

This is a take-out only dinner, which includes spaghetti and meatballs, dry salad, a dinner roll and a dessert, from 2 to 5 p.m. or until they run out. Orders can by placed by calling Donna at 484-464-5438.

The basket raffle will be held from 1 to 5 p.m., and Strauss already has 25 to 30 baskets and continues to take donations.

Because the dinner is take-out only, Strauss has the whole fire hall to set up tricky trays, she said. She will continue to accept donations for the baskets until Feb. 14, the Wednesday before the benefit, she said.

Anyone who would like to donate a tricky tray or gift certificate should contact Strauss at 570-956-1530.

People can also make monetary donations to help Neidlinger and her son rebuild their lives by going to her GoFundMe page, which she started in November to help pay for her cancer treatments. The GoFundMe page, https://www.gofundme.com/f/uqdbfn-cancer-treatment, remains active, Strauss said.

A breakfast fundraiser with tricky trays and raffles was also held at the Flying Aces Motorcycle Club last month, and a local business, Mengle Coal and Oil was collecting prepaid Visa gift cards to help.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined, L & L Fire Chief Tim Rossman said last week.

“It’s been a rough road,” Strauss said. “We’re extremely grateful for the outpouring of support.”