By Tyler Allison, Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD – Many citizens have long considered the East Side of Springfield a “rough part of town.” The East Side has long been plagued by stereotypes and assumptions of rampant crime and drug usage. While many people are trying to move away from the East Side, three ladies are doing the exact opposite: They’re moving in.
Nicole Barks, Brenna Byerly and Margo Mriscin are looking to disprove the common stereotypes surrounding these neighborhoods.
Tyler Boyer, the head pastor at Knox Knolls Free Methodist Church, and church member, Tammy Cox, understood the women’s vision. Boyer began reaching out to the community for a house that somebody would be willing to donate to the church.
He asked a parishioner who works at Wells Fargo about a house, and a short time later, the bank reached out about a home it was looking to donate.
On Nov. 14, the church received the deed to a house.
Located in the heart of Springfield’s East Side, the “Laurel House,” named for its location in 2200 block of East Laurel Street, began renovations right away.
Church members were able to finish the renovations for the home in fewer than four months, thanks to grants from the church’s conference and private donations. Barks, Byerly, and Mriscin moved into their three-bedroom house on Jan. 31. On Feb. 7, Knox Knolls Free
Methodist Church held a dedication service with more than 70 people, including family, friends, neighbors and Gateway Conference superintendents.
All three women, who range in age from 22 to 25, have at least part-time jobs to pay for utilities, food, etc., while also trying to develop relationships with their neighbors.
Byerly is still excited about this journey, despite having to work on top of building relationships, “When I am finished with work, I am excited to come home and spend time with people.”
The “Laurel Girls” have been living together for only a few weeks, but they are very excited to be in this position building relationships and community. Now, the “Laurel House” is a safe place where kids can receive attention, prayer and support.
For Valentine’s Day, the trio invited kids to their house to create cards and crafts to give to family members and friends.
One of the young women was also able to build a relationship with a student that needs a ride home from night classes due to buss schedule conflicts.
The girls are also trying to offer an “Open House” on Sundays. This is where families are welcome to spend time in fellowship and relationship building.
Although the girls have free reign on how to build the relationships with the other members of the community, they have regular discussions with Boyer and Cox. Boyer is in charge of keeping the sanity and the relationships of the women. Cox is in charge of the relationship building outside of the house.
“We don’t really feel unsafe,” Barks said, when asked if she ever fears her safety. “When people know who you are and what you’re doing, so far the result has just been respect and encouragement.”
Due to the rapport that the women are building with neighbors, they said they believe that those relation- ships are the gateway to safety.
“It is a lot harder to steal from someone that you know,”Byerly said.
Mriscin also said that they reached out to the patrolling police officers to inform them of what they are doing.
“God is the reason this whole thing (the Laurel House) exists,” Barks said.
Tyler Allison can be reached at [email protected] or 217-786-2311.
