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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!!
