South Side church hopes for fresh start after Thanksgiving Day fire; seeks help from community
Leaders of a South Side church that was destroyed in a fire on Thanksgiving Day said they are looking forward to a fresh start.
In order to move forward, they will need the help of the Englewood community.
Demolition and clean up continue where the Renewal Life Church once stood at West 59th Street and South Emerald Avenue.
"It's kind of a numbing feeling," said Pastor Jerico Brown.
Brown looked on to see what was left after the fire on Thanksgiving led to plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and a major portion of the church collapsing.
"Everything we worked for, everything we purchased, everything is inside of this building, and it's burned to the ground," he said.
While the cause of the fire remains undetermined, according to the Chicago Fire Department, Brown said he's already working on continuing his church's mission.
"You have to reassemble from day one," he said.
Brown started the church in 2011 and focused on what he calls social economic responsibilities, including providing meals and other resources for people who are homeless, which he wants to continue.
"We want to build our homeless shelter and prep to build our transitional housing," he said.
Brown said efforts are focusing not on rebuilding a traditional church, but rather on purchasing a new space for worship and community needs. To do that, his church is looking to raise funds from the community to help.
The aim is to either break ground or close on a building purchase within six months and keep his church's mission, including addressing homelessness, moving forward.
"We can't end it by ourselves, but we can draw our attention and our focus on that," he said.