Donors Helping Pay To Rebuild Ford Heights Church
FORD HEIGHTS (CBS) -- Donations have been pouring in to a Ford Heights congregation after their historic church was destroyed by a fire earlier this week.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports that the outpouring of support has been tremendous.
One by one, pastors from other churches, members of the Christ For Everyone Ministries and Ford Heights residents stepped up to donate money Satuday to rebuild a cherished church, destroyed by fire on Wednesday.
The blaze started in a vacant house and quickly spread to the church and another home.
"I'm pledging a thousand dollars. Here's a hundred of it now," Pastor Tom Harris said at the fundraiser Saturday.
Another donor gave $2,000 for the church's Thanksgiving feeding.
Christ for Everyone Ministries has been a fixture in Ford Heights for nearly 40 years. It has offered youth and food programs, services for the blind and a free medical clinic to those in need.
On Saturday, Bishop Kenneth Franklin announced the creation of a fund to raise this house of worship from the ashes.
Franklin said the church has received more than $22,000 in donations so far.
He also said that Behr Paint is donating the paint for the interior and exterior of the church and HCO Architects is donating architectural services valued at about $30,000.
Church member Cassandra Giles said, "I'm very, very excited and looking forward to what God is going to do in an effort to rebuild and re-establish and I think it's going to build someone else's faith and courage, to endure in the times of hard times."
After insurance is paid, the church will still need to raise about $1.3 million to rebuild.
The cause of the church fire remained under investigation as of Saturday afternoon.
