Programs that help the community embrace learning and life skills was put in jeopardy Sunday when a sprinkler break flooded the Calvary Family Center.
The flooding began sometime after 11 a.m. Sunday and wasn’t found until around 9 a.m. Monday, according to Jeff Johnson, an active member with the center.
Members were still optimistic despite finding more than two feet of water in the basement, and almost everything inside completely destroyed.
‘‘I guess it’s a good thing warm days are coming,’’ said Sara Johnson, daughter of the Rev. Leroy Johnson of Calvary Memorial Church of God in Christ. ‘‘We will need to carry everything out and hopefully dry some of it.’’
When the center was opened, it did so with the commitment to provide quality human services to the children and families in Fort Dodge. The center offers services and programs that promote education and support families.
‘‘This is theirs,’’ said Johnson. ‘‘This building is for the community.’’
The Calvary Family Center offers a reading program for adults who need help reading or learning to read in general, a kids reading program, a music program, after-care support and many other programs at no charge to the families of Fort Dodge.
‘‘There are about 30 to 50 kids that come on a Saturday,’’ Sara Johnson said. ‘‘It varies from week to week. We’ll have kids walking up from this direction and that direction (pointing north and south).’’
The building, which sits on the corner of 10th Ave. S.W. and 13th St. S.W., was turned into the Calvary Family Center in February 2004. The center was founded and expanded out of the mission of Calvary Memorial Church of God in Christ, which is located across the street from the church.
Last week the board of trustees held a meeting to talk about building upgrades, but now they have a long list of repairs. The ceiling in rooms both upstairs and down have collapsed, light fixtures have been ripped from the ceiling and the building is currently standing with no power of any sort.
‘‘We need to get it restored, get it rebuilt and opened for the reading program,’’ Jeff Johnson said.
The center was recently a sub-grant recipient from June 2006 to February 2007. The award is for ‘‘a capacity-building project for Iowa faith-based and community organizations funded by the Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.’’
Members are asking that volunteers help clean and fix the building. The cost of damage is unknown, but an insurance agent assessed the flooded building. While the center has flood insurance, items inside the building are not automatically replaced. Donations will be accepted to replace items as fast as possible. The center’s programs will continue if at all possible.
‘‘Well probably have some of our programs temporarily at the church, at Calvary Memorial Church of God in Christ across the street, but we haven’t made any specific plans yet,’’ said Sharla Coleson, director of Calvary Family Center.
Contact Sarah Gengler at (515) 573-2141 or sgengler@messengernews.net
