Trinity AME Zion Church in Sheraden in desperate need of repairs
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — From housing community programs to more than doubling its congregation over the past year, there's always something new happening at Trinity AME Zion Church in Sheraden.
But the building is old and in desperate need of repairs.
"When I arrived, I saw a church with potential. That's why we have the slogan, 'Winning the future one family at a time,'" said Pastor Joshua Walker, who has been with the church for about one year.
But the potential is not the only thing this church has. It also had $80,000 in debt that has just been paid off, but it still has a leaky roof, water damage on the ceiling, no H-VAC system and rotting windows.
"The heat is seeping out through the windows. Most of our congregation comes in coats. Our kids, they are bundled up. We're paying $4,000 to $5,000 in utilities," said Walker.
The heat also tends to seep through a series of bullet holes in the stained-glass windows in the vestibule, chapel and pastor's office.
Church leaders said the building was built in the 1930s and few upgrades have been made since. The congregation was gifted the building for $1 in 2008 because the previous congregation folded, according to leaders.
Debra Valentine Gray, a church administrator, crunched the numbers for the repairs and told KDKA-TV that they are "pretty close to $300,000 because of the systems and craftsmanship that is required."
Starting with the windows, the church is launching a campaign online to help pay for the restoration, which includes fortifying them with bulletproof glass. There will also be plaques on the windows with the names of those who donated.
The church hopes to have some of these fixes finished before next winter to avoid a disaster like it recently had in its annex building, where pipes burst and caused flooding.
To learn more about how you can donate, check out the church's website here.