St. James AME, area volunteers to distribute free light bulbs this weekend

Cape Girardeau residents of Wards 1 and 2 may just get a weekend visit from community members with a free gift: energy efficient light bulbs.

The effort, called the Porch Light Project, is an outreach program led by the Rev. Renita Green of St. James AME Church in Cape Girardeau. Along with several community partners, volunteers will distribute the light bulbs to residents from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, the weekend ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.

“Part of what [Dr. King] taught and instilled in community was that we don’t have to do great things, [but] that we just do what we can do, and we do it in a great way,” Green said.

The idea for the program is one Green said she adapted from a relative in St. Louis who worked in law enforcement and had started

an organization called Serving with a Badge, which initially started the Porch Light Project.

Green’s desire to launch the project in Cape Girardeau grew after one particular occasion in which she had been going door-to-door to help residents register to vote.

“It really came out of observing a need,” Green said. “It’s dark; people aren’t as safe when they’re coming home.”

Support for the Porch Light Project has come pouring in, she said.

“Everyone that I’ve asked to be involved has enthusiastically said ‘yes,’” Green said. “And since posting the original flyer, people have been inboxing me saying, ‘Can we be a part of this, too?’”

Partners for the program include the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Southeast Missouri State University’s Office of Equity and Diversity, Southeast’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, Greater Dimensions Ministries, SNAP, the PORCH Initiative of Cape Girardeau and the Red Star Revival Neighborhood Development Initiative.

There remains a need to be filled, Green said, to sponsor the printing of flyers explaining the Porch Light Project and share upcoming event information for the community.

“If somebody wanted to pay for the flyer printing ... that’s something that still needs to be done,” she said.

The 500 LED bulbs were donated by Ameren Missouri as part of its CommunitySavers Grant Program, which provides free energy-saving products or incentives to organizations serving single-family income-eligible homes.

Working porch lights can contribute to safer communities by deterring crime, according to Sgt. Joey Hann of the police department.

“A home that is well lit will statistically be a lesser target for burglaries, robberies and property damage,” Hann said by text message Monday.

Lighted porches may also deter criminals by increasing the risk they will be seen or recognized while committing crimes. But the additional light isn’t just about deterring criminals; it’s also about making residents feel more comfortable, which can lead to increased time spent on porches, and, in turn, increased informal surveillance in the neighborhoods.

“If somebody was creeping around someone else’s home, we’re much more likely to see that with a porch light on,” Green said. “ ... If somebody fell in front of their house, we’re much more likely to see that with a porch light on. ... Hopefully this will be a way of reminding us to look out for each other.”

For those concerned about leaving porch lights on, Ameren’s LED — or light-emitting diode — bulbs use roughly 55% to 65% less energy, last three to four times longer and require less maintenance than traditional lights, according to information provided by Laura Klipfel, regional account executive at Ameren Missouri. The bulbs also create more light per watt and are made without the use of toxic chemicals.

On the day of distribution, Green said she hopes volunteers can work quickly.

“If we have 50 volunteers, we will knock this out pretty fast,” Green said. “Hopefully we will have more than that and people can partner up and go door-to-door together.”

Though volunteers will be primarily serving Wards 1 and 2, Green said all residents, regardless of where they live, are welcome to stop by the church at 516 North St. to pick up a light bulb between 2 and 4 p.m.

“And actually, if anybody called us and said they wanted a light bulb, we would bring one to them,” Green said.

Green — whose leadership helped found The People’s Shelter for area residents facing housing insecurity, community lunchboxes all over downtown Cape Girardeau and The Peaceful Place-Saint Francis House for permanent housing of area homeless men — said one of the nice things about this particular outreach program is its immediate gratification.

“So much of what we do, in terms of community work, you don’t see the results of it for a long time,” Green said. “But this is quick. You put a light bulb in and POW! Let there be light.”

For more information or to volunteer, contact Green by email at stjamescape@gmail.com or by phone at (573) 334-9119.