WORCESTER, Mass. - A historic church is asking for public support to help keep the Worcester landmark in working condition. Belmont A.M.E. Zion church suffered a roof leak during the COVID-19 pandemic and it's now causing damage to the building's internal structure.  

Rev. Clyde Talley said they're assessing options, but repairs range anywhere from $80,000 to $1,000,000. The church is more than 100 years old and is home to prayer, concerts, youth programs and community events. Rev. Talley said time has taken its toll, but it's important to make these repairs so the church can keep serving the city.

"It’s at the point where it’s not only leaking in the sanctuary, it's now leaking down into our fellowship hall where we hold all the meetings and do all our food distribution, which is an issue," Rev. Talley said. "So, we don’t want to get to the point where it's unsafe for people to come in and mold starts to develop."

The church also runs a food distribution program where they serve about 1,000 people every week. In the last year, they've handed out more than 476,000 meals. 

"This church is in a location where people are underserved, where there's minorities primarily in this area of Main South and we play a vital role for people that are here," he said. "If we can't do it here,  then they are going to have to go somewhere else where they probably don't have transportation."

Rev. Talley said they're aiming to raise $500,000 before August to begin short-term repairs before the winter.

A link to a fundraising page can be found here.