Cortland firefighters at the scene of a reported structure fire at Grace Episcopal Church in Cortland on July 29. Photo by Peter Blanchard.
CORTLAND, N.Y. — Cortland Loaves and Fishes has launched an online fundraiser to help cover increased costs associated with relocating its services following a fire at Grace Episcopal Church last month.
The organization normally serves meals at the church at 13 Court Street; however, since the July 29 fire, Loaves and Fishes has been serving meals at United Presbyterian Church, located at 25 Church Street.
While the program did not sustain "any significant damage," the organization has seen increased costs associated with relocating to temporary quarters.
"Our staff is working to coordinate managing storage and access to both food and other necessary supplies," the GoFundMe page reads. "Additionally, the lack of storage space will increase our food cost."
Fire officials say they are unsure when the church will be ready to host the program again. The fire caused about $100,000 in damages, according to the Cortland Fire Department.
Following the displacement of the program, the fire department served free lunch to local residents until Loaves and Fishes relocated to United Presbyterian Church.
Donations will be used to help cover the increased costs for day-to-day operations until services can be returned to the church.
Monetary donations can also be made via PayPal using the organization's website.
Here's a link to the GoFundMe page.
