SAYRE, Pa. — A once-forgotten space in many homes is now receiving some extra TLC, thanks to the Sayre Revitalization Committee.
The idea for the Front Porch Project was designed to make Sayre a place where people would want to live, and now it's doing a lot more than that.
The project was shared on social media and has grown into a positive movement for the community.
Committee members believe that during a stay-at-home order is the perfect time to reinvent your front porch.
"Porches were designed actually to shelter people and to allow people to connect with one another, and those are two things that are just so important right now. We need to shelter in place, and a porch is a perfect place to do that with your close family, but yet see other people, your neighbors, and your friends. You can see them from a distance from your porch," said committee member Deb Landy.
Besides just giving yourself an additional living space, people who entered the contest say sprucing up your porch can also make the community look even more beautiful.
"You take pride in your home, what your home looks like when people arrive here. It's nice to have them drive through the community and see how nice our community is," Shelli Silkman said.
Organizers say the Front Porch Project is supposed to be fun and easy for everyone to participate in; bringing inside items outside and using garden decor are just some of the ideas.
"We want it to be simple, relaxing, a fun distraction, and at its heart, it's just something where you can spruce up your front porch and enjoy it, and I encourage everyone to enter," Landy said.
"I certainly hope that people walk away from this with having some home that, you know, life is not as different as it sometimes feels like right now. There are still so many things that we can do," said committee member Rebecca Romig.
Although this year's contest will be slightly different than years to come, the committee hopes that other nearby communities will take part in a similar effort.
