Submitted Photo The basement of Faith Lutheran Church in Palermo is a work in progress following severe flood damage. The congregation is seeking donations to be able to continue with restorations.

PALERMO – Faith Lutheran Church in Palermo is seeking donations for restoration of a basement/fellowship hall that was devastated by spring flooding.

Faith Lutheran Church lost its basement to two spring flooding events. A culmination of large downpouring rains and equipment failure involving a sump pump contributed to catastrophic flooding in the basement/fellowship area of the church. Mold was soon found in cabinetry, flooring and walls. A commercial restoration service was called to help complete the removal of all damaged items and mold-covered portions of the basement.

“It’s a complete loss,” said Mike Brewer, Faith Council president. “We tried to save some cabinetry, and anything we could reuse we moved up to the main floor of the sanctuary. We initially didn’t believe that it was as big of a problem as it was, but when we started to find mold and rotten items, this all became a living nightmare for our little church.”

The Faith Lutheran Church basement is currently down to studs. All flooring, walls and cabinetry have been removed as the basement is unusable.

Faith Lutheran Church has around 80 members. It is a fully functional church that is part of the larger Prairie Lutheran Parish that includes four rural churches. Other churches are American Lutheran and Knife River, both Stanley, and Bethlehem Lutheran in Ross.

With its thriving Sunday School program and its contributions to parish events, Faith Lutheran Church has consistently been a pillar and central to the community of Palermo. It has served many funerals, weddings, baptisms and other functions over the years, but since the flooding, it has had to use the other churches in the parish to meet the needs of its members.

The total out-of-pocket cost for repairs and upgrades after insurance will be more than $125,000, the church reports. Costs include replacing the old paneling with new mold-free sheetrock, upgrading to an interior perimeter drain tile as the existing drain tile is not keeping up, and upgrading lights, exposed electrical, cabinetry and flooring. To repair the lighting, a new drop ceiling will need to be installed.

“You just keep chasing your tail during a restoration,” said Evan Meiers, Faith Council vice president. “Everything is tied into each other. You want to add lighting that will last, but your current electrical is outdated and our ceiling is stapled to the floor joist. It’s never-ending.”

Faith Lutheran Church will be hosting a fundraising event on Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. in the American Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall. There will be a silent auction, along with turkey bingo. The church welcomes any donations for this event.

Donations can be sent to Faith Lutheran Church, PO Box 310, Stanley, ND 58784.