Growing up in North Jersey, our evenings were often spent sitting out on the stoop. Front steps were a major part of our social life and bring back many fond memories. I guess it was inevitable that when I became a house-hunting adult, a front porch was #1 on my “must have” list.

Prior to coming to Bradley Beach our family homes had side patios and back decks which were used and enjoyed. But a front porch is something completely different. It opens you up to the world. In addition to providing fresh air, it’s a place to observe nature, be it a glorious sunrise, a spectacular sunset, or a rainbow following a summer storm.

A porch by location is a connection to the community and never has this been more important than now.

With “Stay at Home” and “Social Distancing” mandates a new part of daily life, porches are more important than ever. Mine has become my comfort zone. A place to make contact with others, to exchange thoughts and feelings about the dreaded pandemic, to give and receive support and encouragement, and to share a laugh or two.

As cars honk, bicyclists wave, parents push strollers, and dogs trot past, it reassures me that some things have not changed and that we are adapting to a new and different world. Strangers have become friends and neighbors have become family.

Who would have ever thought that an inate structure added to the front of a house could have had this impact? That a porch could be a remedy for the prevention of isolation and solitude?

The letters in the word itself define its values—
PORCH: Place Of Respite, Comfort, Hope for better days ahead

~ By Kathie Deak