NYC church faces heat crisis, community programs disrupted

NEW YORK (PIX11) – A historic 225-year-old landmark church in the east village is struggling to feel its heat.  

Programs for families and after-school activities are interrupted.  

They called PIX11's Monica Morales to make it happen.

Seven space heaters keep the main sanctuary warm inside St. Mark's Church. Pastor Ann Marie Witchger says her church is usually the center of the community and spreads the season's warmth to those in need. She can't right now; it's like a freezer inside the church. Witchger says the gas was turned off to do maintenance work; she says she needs it turned back on as soon as possible.

From weekly food programs to a warming center on Wednesdays, programs have been canceled or held in the cold. Diana Beyer, the Founding Director of the NY Theatre ballet school and a scholarship program called LIFT that gives dance lessons to housing insecure children has a studio inside the church.

The NYC Department of Buildings tells PIX11 News, "After the Licensed Master Plumber finished the necessary repairs to the gas lines at St. Mark's Church, they requested a DOB inspection, a necessary step to confirm that the gas work was done properly. This scheduled inspection was conducted earlier this afternoon, and the repair work successfully passed inspection. To return heat service at the building, the plumber who performed the repairs can now contact Con Edison to request they restore the building's gas service."

A Con Edison spokesperson tells PIX11 news, "We are actively working with the church and their representatives to ensure gas is restored as soon as their internal repairs are completed and it is safe to do so."

If you need help with your heat, reach out to Monica Morales at monica@pix11.com