[] HISTORIC STORM RAINED 11" IN 4 HOURS!

[] FURNACE RUINED UNDER 8 FT. OF WATER!

[] WE NEED A NEW HEATING SYSTEM ASAP!

[] WINTER FREEZE IS FAST APPROACHING!

[] CAN YOU HELP US GET BACK ON OUR FEET?

IT WAS A STORMY NIGHT IN SEPTEMBER... Dams let go, bridges caved in, sink holes swallowed up cars, and families were evacuated by boat! The afternoon and evening of Sept. 11th, 2023 was a time our city will never forget. Here is my story...

It all started on a Monday afternoon in September, just a few weeks ago. I was walking through the lobby about 4:30 in the afternoon. The cloudy daylight through the windows and the sound of cars swishing outside told me that it was raining. What caught my eye as I glanced through the glass on our front doors, was that I couldn’t see the pavement out there. Instead, I could only see hubcaps rolling across the top of the water line. We were having "a good rain," I thought.

Christian Life Center is located right on Main Street, which is filled with stores, shops, offices and lots of traffic. I propped both front doors open just to get the full view, but that also led to an explosion of sight and sound - the same kind you feel when you are standing on a rocky coastline during a stormy day. The cars were creating waves like passing boats and the rain was very hard and very loud. Apparently, it been been raining like that for a while, and now, white-tipped waves were threatening the carpet inside our front door, as the ocean on Main Street continued to rise.

I thought, "It can’t keep raining like this, can it?" Soon, the water in the street was above the tires of the cars trying to make the turn near the post office. I've never seen anything like this on our street before, and it made me want to go check up on our basements immediately!

I was worried about what I would find as I rushed through the sanctuary to get to the cellar door. I was in such a hurry to get down there, but when I opened the door I was stopped in my tracks.

The lights were on, but I couldn’t see the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Instead, murky brown water, that had to be at least five feet deep, was sloshing against the walls and random objects were bobbing up and down as they floated into the next room down there.

Like a ferocious beast, this unwelcome force of nature was climbing up the stairs before my very eyes and it seemed set on invading my world! Outside, it was still pouring down rain like Niagara Falls, and all I could do was moan out loud, "Oh no!" This was certainly going to be an epic night!

By the time it stopped raining, we had 8 feet of water in the basement! This completely ruined our furnace and electrical panels. We were wise to have had sump pumps all ready in place, but they were overwhelmed by the amount of water that came into the building.

This beautiful, historic, solid brick building was constructed in 1920 as the Rialto Theatre. It has architectural features so distinct that students from engineering schools come here to sketch it for their school assignments. If you love history, you will want to help us preserve one of the last remaining Rialto Theatres from that Art Deco time period.

From the 1950's through the 70’s, the building functioned as a beloved recreation center. This is where dances were held, swimming lessons were taught, and public exhibitions took place, among many other things much too numerous to mention. It was such a popular place to be that we have heard old timers refer to it as “the heart of the city."

Today, the facility still serves the community through an active youth center, gymnasium, children’s wing, an arts center, classrooms, and a beautiful atrium that seats 300 people. Christian Life Center, as the building's current owner, has been improving and preserving the building since 1999.

Life-shaping activities take place during the week, and faith-building services are offered on the weekends. Whoever walks through the door is welcome, and lives are being changed.

We want our afterschool activities to start up again! We want to reopen the youth center! We want to hear coaches blowing their whistles on the basketball court, and see diverse families coming together for all the other things that we offer. We believe the Good Lord will use lots of people to help get this done. Would you be one of those people? Would you be willing to partner with us?

Whether you are motivated to help us restore an important piece of history, or whether you are motivated by the good feeling you get knowing that a valuable community center is up and running again, you are doing both when you give to this campaign.

All donors will be invited to a large celebration in the spring, but the time to give is now! Winter is almost here, and we need a new furnace right away! The “heart of the city” is still beating! We’ve been taking care of her for over 20 years. We just need a little outside help right now.

Piper Electric, DDM Plumbing & Heating, Doors Unlimited, Amanda Construction Co., Enterprise Bank, and Emery & Webb Inc. are all on our team. Can you join the team by making a donation today? Our reputation is solid and every gift is tax-deductible. The need is urgent, so please give whatever you can. Thank you!

- Steven Koroskenyi, Pastor

Christian Life Center

53 Main St.

Leominster, MA. 01453

(Mail to: PO Box 1388)