UNION CITY, Mich. (WXYZ) — A restored Steinway piano sits at the altar of First Congregational Church. Pastor Aaron Rieder said it has filled the sanctuary with music since the 1800s.
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“These are actual ebony and ivory keys, and those are all the originals," he explained.
While the tornado spared this piece of history, the back of the building was destroyed.
Rieder told 7 News Detroit, “Those things can be replaced. I guess I needed a few more books anyway.”
While the church has the backing of its denomination to repair the damage, Rieder said his heart is with the community. He’s concerned that personal homeowners' insurance policies simply won’t be enough to cover the loss.
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He said, “I’ve had other pastors from other UCC churches reach out to me and say, ‘Hey, how can we help you? What can we do?"
"So, our church is actually starting a fund, a disaster fund that we’ll be using the money that people donate to us for this, and we’re going to help people pay their deductibles,” Rieder explained.
During and after storm cleanup, it’s often top of mind for homeowners.
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“Even if they haven’t lost their home, they’ve lost their roof maybe, they’ve lost an outbuilding, and we all know on a fixed income for many of our people, yeha maybe $500 or a thousand dollars is a lot of money that they don’t have right this second after all the other things they faced," Rieder said.
Around the corner at Emannual Global Methodist Church, donations sit roadside -- from bottled water to cleaning supplies.
In the basement, associate pastor Steve said more supplies are on standby. It's come from all over the state.
"Household items, blankets, hygiene equipment, extra food..." he said. "It's been amazing."
The First Congregational Church in Union City can be reached at this link.
