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In Need Of New Parking Lot And Other Repairs, South Chicago Church Praying For Strength

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Common, Oprah, Celine Dion; leaders at Trinity Resurrection United Church in the South Chicago neighborhood have written to almost every celebrity you can think of.

Why? To see if they'd donate to their church so they can finally make some much-needed repairs.

They haven't had any luck, so they turned to Morning Insider Tim McNicholas.

Rev. Charles Davis, senior pastor at Trinity Resurrection United Church, is also the senior handyman, cleaning the gutters and tackling other odd jobs at the youthful age of 97 years old.

"The lord given me strength so...I do good for him," Rev. Davis said.

But the World War Two veteran can only do so much.

The church can't afford to fix their broken pews, missing ceiling tiles, loose floor tiles, or the door that's about to fall off entirely. All those problems in their tiny chapel, which they convert into a food drive once a week.

"Feed the poor. Poor feeding the poor. We are poor also," Rev. Davis said with a laugh.

Rich in spirit ,but not in the bank.

His daughter, Minister Shirley Davis, says she's tried just about everything to raise funds for either repairs or a move to a new building.

She even wrote to famous musicians and local pro sports teams.

"They don't pay you any attention, and I can't be a Joel Olsteen and pick up that phone and bam there it is. Naw, that's not gonna happen here," she said.

The most pressing need? A new parking lot; a paved parking lot.

She says their uneven gravel lot is a major hurdle for big trucks dropping off food pantry donations—especially in the winter.

And with their Thanksgiving turkey drive on the horizon, she's praying for strength.

"It's gonna be okay though, we gonna do what we have to do. It's gonna be okay," Minister Davis said.

But she won't give up, because strength runs in the family.

"I like it, because it keeps me active," Rev. Davis said.

If you'd like to help Trinity Resurrection United Church, you can donate on their website.

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