Collections to Benefit Fire Victims' Families

By Christina Georgiou

Cash donations are being collected by Joy Lozier's co-workers at two Easton
Dunkin' Donuts locations--on Centre Square and also at the Philadelphia
Road location in the city's South Side neighborhood. Money collected
will go towards offsetting funeral and other expenses.

The deaths of Joy Lozier, 24, her young son Makai Peters, 4, and Lozier's cousin James Strickland in a fast-moving apartment fire early Monday morning in the Easton's West Ward have left many city residents shaking their heads at the senselessness of the tragedy, but others' first instinct is to help in whatever way they can.

Lozier's co-workers at Dunkin' Donuts on Centre Square are taking donations that will benefit her surviving son, thought to be under 2 years old, and also help family members deal with expenses related to the tragedy.

Dunkin' Donuts on Phildelphia Road in South Side Easton is similarly collecting funds, and the head manager of the Centre Square location has also reportedly donated $1,000 to the cause, a Downtown store employee said on Tuesday.

He's also contacting Dunkin' Donuts corporate headquarters to see if the company might sponsor a more formal campaign to benefit Lozier's surviving son, she said.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized or announced, but the three are likely to be laid to rest some time later this week, said Ashton Funeral Home director Debra Jo Ashton-Chase.

Ashton Funeral Home is donating its services, but there will still be bills to pay related to the funerals, Ashton-Chase said, including covering cemetery costs.

And, in addition to the pain of losing their loved ones, family members will be supporting the other three fire survivors.

"They're still going to have bills to pay," Ashton-Chase said.

While a formal account has not yet been set up for community members that wish to contribute to offset expenses and to benefit Lozier's surviving baby son, that is likely to happen soon, she said.

Money donated to such a fund will likely be earmarked to go toward the young boy's education, Ashton-Chase added.

In the meantime, those that wish to make a memorial contribution can do so in care of Ashton Funeral Home, she said.

Ashton Funeral Home can be reached at 610-253-4678.