TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Major safety concerns are forcing a local church to shut down half of their building, and it's all due to termites.
Leaders at St. Matthews Episcopal on Talmadge say termites have done so much damage to support beams they think something like strong wind or heavy snow could cause part of the building to collapse.
There aren't any termites inside anymore, but the damage is still there.
"It's kind of an invisible problem," said Mark Tantari with St. Matthews. "It's inside of these beams; it's inside of these arches."
Church leaders discovered the problem about a year ago when the front doors were being replaced. They say termites fell out of the woodwork. The damage is much more than they ever imagined.
"We had to leave our sancuary. Almost half of our facility is unusable," said Mike Whitacre, also with St. Matthews.
Temporary support beams have been placed in a side hallway. The nursery is now closed, and all church functions are being held in a side room.
Leaders say fixing the damaged wood is estimated to cost around $500,000, because they haven't had much luck with their insurance claim.
The church is hoping to get a loan to repair the damage, but they're also relying on the community for support.
Several fundraisers have been scheduled. To learn more about them and find out how you can help, visit the church website.
