After the Bethany House was razed in a fire, leaders hope to reopen the building in early 2027
A Pittsburgh church says a one-time educational facility will soon rise from the ashes. The United Methodist Church Union says they have big plans for their new facility and the community.
It was a staple in the community known as the Bethany House, then it became the Kidcelerate House, and one year ago, it was razed by fire. But officials say it's coming back and will be better than ever.
The images from the fire are still burned into the minds of those who watched the decades-old building go up in smoke. Fire now replaced by snow and hope that this new building will rise from the ashes.
"It's our honor here today to announce the fact that we're going to rebuild a facility that will provide services for the children and the youth of this community," said Rev. Larry Homitsky with the United Methodist Church Union.
Rev. Homitsky has overseen the facility for decades. The learning hub at the bridge and Kidcelerate offer services to dozens of children in the community, including food, recreation, emotional support, after-school tutoring, and even summer camps.
"What is awesome about it is how resilient kids are," said Charis Walker, director of operations at Kidcelerate. "I honestly can't imagine how exciting it's going to be in a brand new space."
Officials say prayers have helped the mission of the ministry, but they could also use some more money to make the dream of this new building happen.
"We have a pretty good start. Our preliminary numbers are looking at $2 to $2.5 million. We have about $1 million, a little under $1 million," Homitsky said.
Church and school officials say if everything goes as planned, roughly a year from today, the new building will be up and operating.