Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb awarded $25K city grant to replace heating system

DeKALB – Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb, 158 N. Fourth St., DeKalb, recently was awarded a $25,000 architectural improvement program grant from the city of DeKalb to help pay for the cost of replacing its heating system.

The DeKalb City Council decision helps the congregation continue to provide an overnight warming center for those in need during the cold months of the year.

Dan Kenney, president-elect for Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb, said the congregation is pleased to have the city’s support with replacing its heating system.

“It was on the building for 40 years or more,” Kenney said. “What we have on our building is three heating units, or HVAC units, to provide heating and air conditioning. One we had replaced a few years ago and the other two had to be replaced this year.”

Established in January 2024, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb’s overnight warming center served on average between 12 and 18 people a night.

It makes for one of two overnight warming spaces in town aside from homeless shelter Hope Haven of DeKalb County, 1145 Rushmoore Drive, DeKalb.

Kenney said this past winter, the furnaces went out on the roof prompting the congregation to call a repairman out in subzero temperatures to get it running again.

“He told us at the time, it needed to be replaced, but he patched it together enough so we could get through,” Kenney said. “And then, when the other one went out, we had to have them back and then they had to repair that to try to keep it going. We were able to provide the warming center and even keep it going through the winter, but we were told that both of them needed to be replaced because of how old they were. Some of them they couldn’t even get parts for anymore. So, that’s why they had to be replaced.”

The total cost of the heating system replacement amounted to $56,300, city documents show.

Kenney said that replacing the heating system may not have been possible for the congregation in the absence of the city’s support.

“We wouldn’t have been able to replace them both,” he said. “We probably would have to keep patching them together until we could get enough money together to do it. But it could not have been done at this time.”

Kenney said the congregation saw a lot of support from members of the community along with other churches when it first opened its overnight warming center with bringing in meals. He said the congregation also worked in partnership with DeKalb County Community Gardens, now called Rooted for Good, to provide food for snacks, breakfast and lunches.

“Between those, we were able to provide that kind of nutritional support,” Kenney said.

Kenney said the congregation also noted a great need to help connect people to local resources in the community and decided to take action.

“We also worked with Hope Haven and other organizations like Family Service Agency, Elder Care Services to connect people that came through the warming center with other services in our community to try to get them into housing,” he said. “Several of the individuals that came through the warming center were successful in getting housing.”

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb intends to open its doors to those in need as an overnight warming center this upcoming winter thanks to the city’s support, which the congregation will receive in 2025.

The city has exhausted the funds it normally sets aside for architectural improvement program grants for this year, but the council authorized a $25,000 award to be distributed in 2025, city documents show.

“We’re in the process of planning for that,” Kenney said. “That’s why this grant was especially important because this will allow us to be able to provide this service for the community again this winter, if needed.”