As I sit here and write this report it is hard to believe that it has been only been 8 weeks (as of 10.31.11) since the flood at the church.  In that time we have been working hard to restore the building.  Besides the visual things that you see, there was a lot done that you did not see.  Our Leases and Insurance Ministry work with the insurance coverage and they dealt with tenant issues.   So thank you Ken Johnson and Kathy Loveland for all the hard work they did and are still putting in long hours working with the insurance companies.

For the first 2 ½ weeks we were not allowed to start the reconstruction process until all of the de-con and demo was done.  During that time we loaded several dumpsters of damaged contents from the church as well as the day care. The members of the Knights of Columbus and Notre Dame church worked hard with our members on several occasions.  We also took all of our belongings that could be saved and put them into a trailer donated by Pioneer Freight.

But once we received the clean bill to enter, the work started with all the contractors under the direction of the General Contractor – Cowley Construction.  In Sunnyfields Day Care the walls were opened 4 foot high to remove any hazards.  All the electric outlets were replaced, new sheetrock installed and painted, new cabinets and new vanities were put in the classrooms, the boys and girls rooms updated, new exhaust system was installed in the restrooms and in all the class rooms and boys and girls room.  We had a new boiler installed to heat the offices, Sunnyfields Day Care and the CE building.  The new boiler hangs on the wall 2 feet off the floor.  With the new technology we only need one boiler not 2, the size is about 2 by 3 foot in size.  The hot water heater was also replaced.

In the hallway, offices and library the walls were opened 2 foot high.  All the electric was updated, new sheetrock installed by the contractor and then painted by volunteers from our church, Knight of Columbus and members from Notre Dame Church.  New carpet was installed in all of the offices, library and sanctuary.  A wifi system was also installed as well as networking the offices to the copier.

In the sanctuary volunteers from all of our resources painted all of the pews.

Due to the damage, all of the heating and air-conditioning ductwork, and the 3 furnaces and air handlers as well as the compressors needed to be replaced, which heats and cools the Sanctuary itself.  We now have an efficient new system that hangs from the beams in the basement.

The fire alarm system was brought up to the new code standards.  The sheds needed to be replaced; they will be put on a concrete base (which has already been done) to help prevent standing water and rotting of the wood.

All of the pew cushions, the carpet on the stairs to the balcony and the balcony carpets were cleaned, and the new carpet in the sanctuary was scotch guarded. Stanley Steamer cleaned the library and the furniture in Pastor Don’s office.

All the office furniture needed to be replaced. Some furniture was donated from JP Morgan on Jefferson Road as they closed their offices.

So who did the rebuilding and upgrades:  General Contractor Cowley Construction LLC, ServPro, MAKKO Heating and Cooling, Esposito Electric, AC Drywall and Painting, Rocco Ciufalo Plumbing and Heating, City Fire, Shaugher Group, and Stanley Steamer.  These fine contractors worked hard and no one got hurt and all work was done on time.

Our hard work by many members including the Sr. Highs on Saturday October 22nd allowed us to be at our “home” on October 23rd. THANK YOU!

The work will be starting in Phase 2 shortly as we are waiting for drawings and town approval for the kitchen and restrooms.  There are structural repairs as well as re-wiring of that end of the building.  Parish hall and the restrooms will be made handicapped accessible. We hope to have all the work done by the end of January of 2012.  We will keep you informed as we make progress.

Thank you for all of your help and support during this project!

Yours in Christ,

Dale and Kathy

Property Ministry

We have received a tremendous outpouring of support from the community, and this has really helped us in this difficult time. We are extremely thankful to all who have offered their generous financial and emotional support, and to those who have donated their time and services to help us.  We are truly blessed to live in such a caring community.

Our building and parking lot have been cleaned up considerably, and the decontamination work is complete.  The air quality in the church has improved considerably, but we still ask folks to refrain from coming to the church.  The church is an active construction site, and visitors would interfere with the reconstruction effort.  There will be many opportunities for volunteers to help, but for now we need to let the professionals do their work.

The reconstruction effort has begun, and we have started to get our heads around the magnitude of the challenge that we face.  Our top priority remains getting Sunnyfields back in to their space, followed by the repairs to our sanctuary.  We have received the encouraging news that our commercial ovens will be salvageable, which is a considerable cost savings for us.  However, our best estimate is that the total reconstruction effort will cost around $350,000.

Fortunately, we had flood insurance, but nobody anticipated that we could suffer such a devastating loss.  Our flood insurance will cover about $104,000 and we have $179,000 that we can use for repairs.  This leaves us with an immediate need to raise approximately $70,000 just to finish the reconstruction.

We have started a capital campaign with a goal of raising $150,000.  Our hope is that this will give us a small "cushion" against future uncertainties.  If you decide that you can help us, you can make a donation by credit card by clicking on the "Donate" button on the right-hand side of this page.  If you prefer to write a check, please make your check payable to the First Presbyterian Church of Whippany, and please mark your check notation "Church Restoration."  Our mailing address is 494 Route 10, Whippany NJ 07981.  All donations are tax deductible.

We will be tracking our progress using the thermometer on the right-hand side of this page, which will be updated at least once/week.  Check back often to see how we're doing!  If you are interested in reading more, stories have appeared recently in the Star Ledger here and in the Daily Record here. 

Thank you for your support!!

A photo gallery is now available on our web site.  Here you will find pictures of the flood as well as the damage and reconstruction of the church.  You can access the gallery from the "News & Events" menu, or click here.  Updates will be posted regularly as work progresses.  Event pictures will also be made available here in the future.  Check back often!

The First Presbyterian Church of Whippany sustained significant flood damage from hurricane Irene.  Anything in or around the church that was touched by the water has to be either decontaminated or thrown out.  There is lots of mud around, and this will require an extensive effort to clean up.