PORCH Initiative focused on several projects under new leadership

The PORCH Initiative of Cape Girardeau has several projects in the works led by newly-elected chairwoman Tamara Zellars Buck.

Buck has been affiliated with PORCH — an organization dedicated to recreating the vibrant communuity that once flourished in the south side of Cape Girardeau — since its inception in 2018. Her main goal as chairwoman is to improve visibility of the organization.

"I really want to work to make PORCH more visible," said Buck, who is also chairwoman of the Mass Media Department at Southeast Missouri State University. "We've been in the background doing some things, and people are saying, 'Well, what's going on?' So I really want to make our work a little more visible than it's been over the past year."

In addition to raising visibility, PORCH — which stands for People Organized to Revitalize Community Healing — is working with the Missouri Department of Conservation and school leaders at Jefferson Elementary School to create a pocket garden.

"There's going to be a community garden within walking distance of the school," Buck said. "They're actually preparing the land now. It's on a lot that's in the neighborhood right down the street from the school. So they're preparing the land, and the Department of Conservation is going to be taking care of identifying trees and what flowers need to be planted. The kids are going to be able to plant it this spring, so it's in operation now."

The organization is also working with the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department to schedule programming at Shawnee Park Center, and assist with planning uses for the center's new expansion.

"There's a building expansion planned, and they've asked us to work with them to help determine what's the best use for that new part of the facility," Buck said. "So we're talking about bringing in community members to get input so that this is a decision that's made with the residents of the community who are supposed to be using the building, and not a decision that the city makes sort of arbitrarily based on what they think is the best use of the building."

Buck — who replaced current vice chairwoman and Cape Girardeau Ward 2 City Council representative Shelly Moore as PORCH chairwoman — said one of her first orders of business is to find a new executive director for the organization.

"In December, we lost our executive director, Julian Watkins," Buck said. "So we have to find a new executive director because we need a full-time professional really spearheading the work to achieve our vision."

PORCH is currently taking applications for its executive director position, as well as for open seats on the Board of Directors. Buck encourages anyone who is interested in applying for either position to send her an email at tbuck@semo.edu.

"We are definitely in need of people on the professional side, people who may be in realty or may be in banking," Buck said. "We are also still accepting or encouraging residents, specifically those on the south side but anybody that wants to help us won't be turned down for our committees."

For more information about the PORCH Initiative of Cape Girardeau, visit www.CapePorch.org.