Not Your Mama’s Kind of Porch Rockin'!

Not Your Mama's Porch Rockin'

Hello friendly readers, Give Back Girl Arlene here! I am so excited to tell you about this event that we had the pleasure of helping with. But first, a little story. I was in Florida recently and spending some time solo during the day. I stopped for lunch and was served 6 shrimp and way more french fries than I could think of eating. I remembered that I had passed a few homeless men on the riverwalk, so I repackaged the extra fries in a big plastic cup along with some ketchup packets and approached the first man on the bench. As I extended the fries to him, he quietly pointed to the man on his right. I understood that he wanted him to have the impromptu snack. Needless to say, the man was thankful. What I found interesting is that my give-back became a give-back for another, as he passed the food along to the man that needed a meal. Food waste in our country with simultaneously hungry people is an issue. There are organizations that attempt to reduce food waste; that is another blog topic! On to the Porch Rockin'.....

The first annual Guilford Porchfest took place this past September. The town residents and businesses were asked to donate their porches as

a venue for musicians to perform. The ask was a hit! The residents of the town gladly offered up their porches to be temporary stages.

Putting all of this music together was to benefit.....well... the art of music! For many, music speaks to the soul in a way that the spoken language or visuals just cannot! I happen to be one of these people, so I truly appreciate the art of music. The line up of performers was impressive for the first year. From rock bands to bell ringers, there was something for everyone. The schedule is here so you can get the idea.

Stay Tuned for 2025 Porchfest here

Stan started his volunteer assignment first because I was at another event that morning. He was assigned as a "Stroller". This was a fun task. He was assigned at one of the venues to mingle with guests and answer questions. Stan received a bag of fun items to pass out to the younger guests. Stickers and Kazoos go a long way with the kids. With the "Strollers" visible throughout the event, people could get information easily all around town. The most common question? "Where can I get one of those Porchfest T-shirts?"

Click picture for information on the Little Red Shack

The 2024 Porchfest T-shirts were very popular! They featured a picture of the town's iconic little red shack on Grass Island. Recently, this little historic shack was nearly washed into the sound with the rising tides. All the proceeds from the sales of these T-shirts went to the restoration of the little red shack.

I joined the event a bit later when it started to rain. The music still went on! I was assigned to the information table stationed near the town's welcome booth. As can be expected, I was there to give schedules and maps to the guests and answer questions. I had a wonderful conversation with the gentleman manning the Guilford Welcome and information booth. He was a wealth of information about the town and had a complete calendar of the town's events.

Next year, Stan and I would like to host musicians on our porch and the Give Back Girls hope to volunteer throughout the town. Mark your calendars for next year, September 6, 2025. Come to Guilford for a rockin' good time!