By Joe Tucker
Sunday mornings are quiet at the Front Porch. The congregation that has journeyed with Duane & Lisa Crabbs now meets at 1095 Edison Ave. in the Summit Lake neighborhood, so only a few cars sit in the Front Porch parking lot.
One vehicle belongs to James Dillehay – he comes in to clean before his church service on Sundays. Later in the Sunday afternoon, two recovery groups cycle through the first floor, opening the Front Porch doors to anyone in need of support in sobriety and spirit.
On Monday morning, the Porchlight staff arrive early to prepare for the week. As they open the front door, they are greeted by a South Akron neighbor struggling with homelessness. They invite them into the warmth and provide a cup of coffee.
As the morning progresses, Rose opens the Reentry office, offering support to the many scheduled (and unscheduled) returning citizens stepping back into life. The South Akron Youth Mentoring staff head up to the second floor for their weekly team meeting – some stay for the day at the coffee shop, preparing for their ministry work.
The South Street team and many others cycle through the building – planning for programs, meeting to connect and collaborate, and ministering to those who want to step towards change.
Monday ends with a long-standing recovery group opening up the clinic space for yet another hour of sobriety support.
Tuesdays are a flurry of activity at the Front Porch. Porchlight opens, the South Street staff gather for a full team meeting, prayer, and devotional. The South Street staff then pivots to preparations for the weekly reentry meeting – as Porchlight closes, 30 to 50 returning citizens come to the Front Porch for Reentry support, a meal, connections, and hope.
The clinic space opens up, as Cleveland Clinic doctors come and offer free health screenings to reentry participants and anyone else in need. In the late evening, another recovery group opens their meeting. Another full and impactful Tuesday at the Front Porch!
Porchlight opens up the building early Wednesday morning – with many friends and patrons coming in for meetings, coffee, studies, and socializing. Shawn Bonner works with reentry volunteers as they further the renovations across the street at 801 Grant St. In the afternoon, Shawn gathers with community leaders from the Akron Parks Collaborative to discuss the full-scale restoration of Morgan Park, down the street from the Front Porch.
Wednesday closes with another recovery group gathering to invite and maintain sobriety.
Thursday morning brings college students and Porchlight patrons in for coffee. The South Street team prepares for the Citizen Circle meeting, where a returning citizen participates in a circle of supportive partners quickly addressing barriers and challenges in their life and reentry.
In the evening, a recovery group hosts an anniversary celebration with a keynote speaker! They share about their own journey of recovery and congratulate the group on being and staying together for a hallmark number of years!
As Friday opens, women and men from Tuesday’s reentry meeting return to the Front Porch. They are meeting with LaMarr and Rose to drive to the Health Department and submit and receive their birth certificates. Five to ten individuals will get their identities back this morning!
A few pastors gather at Porchlight for coffee, prayer, and Bible Study. They ‘chop it up’ with the South Street team about true community engagement and neighborhood love, and express a desire to move their congregations in that direction.
The South Street team stays late – completing grant applications, submitting reports, and drafting newsletters. A group comes in to rent the cafe space – they mourn the loss of a matriarch, celebrate a baby to come, or rejoice in a new marriage! In the clinic in the back of the building, another recovery group begins and ends.
Friday at the Front Porch.
Saturdays are Porchlight’s busiest days – guest vendors sell flowers or records. Families mix and reconnect with old friends, and the Porchlight staff quickly distribute drinks and meals to the many tables.
A men’s group meets. The South Street Reentry staff discuss efforts to continue to address community violence. Volunteers visit to help with projects at Restoration House.
As Porchlight closes, the Front Porch slows until two recovery groups come in and out – once again offering a meeting of warmth, support, and sobriety.
Sunday mornings are quiet at the Front Porch. An Executive Director sneaks in to finish an article and reflects on the scope of good – what God has done – in a place committed to seeking God’s Kingdom and seeing it come.