PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Churches are getting ready to open their doors to more and more parishioners as the capacity restrictions start to loosen. Pests and pathogens could put a damper on that and to all the people that have missed their church community. In order to help prepare these churches to have in-person services, Western Pest Services stepped in to help.
The First Presbyterian Church of Rutherford, N.J., has been a place of worship for over 150 years. Their community outreach programs – before and during the pandemic – reach far beyond their local community. After the destruction brought on by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the First Presbyterian Church of Rutherford adopted a Presbyterian Church there to assist in the rebuilding and recovery of their building. They have been providing online services but based on the loosening restrictions, they are ready to open their doors again.
In order to open those doors safely and provide their first in-person services in over a year, Senior Account Executive in our Paramus Branch, Carlos Navarro decided to help make it happen. Navarro said, “I was able to provide a successful Western PurClean service as a courtesy to the church. It was a pleasure and their kind words made it all worth it.”
Rev. Peter Wilkinson is extremely happy with the service saying that Navarro “truly aided us in this important effort.” He didn’t stop there. He added, “On behalf of First Presbyterian Church in Rutherford, I wanted to thank you and the team at Western Pest Services for disinfecting our worship space in preparation for our in-person worship. You did a great job of carefully explaining the process and the process was exactly as you described. We appreciated the time and detail that was taken to do the job well and right.”
The Divine Mercy Parish of Vineland, NJ, had a different issue. Bats had made their way into the church and taken up residence. The church has been in existence for almost 60 years. In that time, they have offered youth groups, book clubs, and prayer groups, and celebrated countless marriages, Quinceañeras, baptisms, and confirmations. Bats in a building can not only cause health hazards, but they can also deter people from entering.
With a lift donated by Rental Country of Vineland, Western Technician, Sal Scarpulla, Cape May Branch Manager, Will Steele, and Service Supervisor, Todd Parziale, jumped into action. They donated their time to hang a net across the front of the church so that the bats could safely get out to hunt for food but would not be able to get back in. Bats are a protected species, so they dealt with them carefully and safely. They will also be going back to safely remove some birds from other areas and seal the holes they were using to get in.
Janette Arroyo, Bookkeeper at the Divine Mercy Parish, was very thankful. She noted that they “have had issues with bats accessing our church for some time now.” Since they operate on a very tight margin, they knew that even though they were going to have to address the issue, they were concerned about the cost associated. She said, “Western Pest came through for us when we most needed. Their generosity just reinforces their commitment to their customers.”
In addition to appreciating the donation of the service, she added, “We have been satisfied customers for many years. We serve a large public and keeping our facilities free from pests is very important to us. We partnered with Western Pest because they share the same values. They are reliable and experts in their field. The technicians are always very courteous and knowledgeable.”
Western Pest Services has been providing exclusion services for wildlife to homes and businesses in the tri-state area for years. They know the rules and restrictions around the many rodents and birds that can find their way into buildings and how to safely and effectively encourage them to move on while making sure they don’t come back. They are dedicated to not only keeping these animals and the health hazards they can bring with them away from people but putting them back in the ecosystem where they can do the most good.
Western Pest Services added its Western PurClean disinfection service to its offerings in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 crisis. It’s a treatment that helps homes and businesses quickly kill a large spectrum of pathogens and helps to stop the spread of viruses. In addition to misting into difficult-to-reach areas, the treatment focuses on wiping down high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, countertops, and seating areas since they are the most common places where viruses can linger and rapidly spread from person to person. For more information, visit westernpest.com.
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