Springfield Business Journal_2020-10-26

IF YOU NEED HELP NOW , CALL STAND UP. SPEAK OUT. GET INVOLVED. Megan Kelly Miss Missouri END THE IMPACT GENERATIONAL More than 5 MILLION children witness domestic violence each year. The impact of which can lead to a shorter life span and a greater likelihood of addiction, low self- esteem, learning difficulties, and health issues. Join us to break the generational impact of domestic violence. MyHarmonyHouse.org/icare When researchers examined the brains of children who had either experienced or witnessed domestic violence, their scans were strikingly similar to another group of individuals: combat veterans with PTSD. 800.831.6863 OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Presented by: Megan Kelly Miss Missour i SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 27 OCT. 26-NOV. 1, 2020 NEWS (417) 881-6623 nixonins.com YOUR STRATEGY FOR THE BEST BENEFITS End Jeff Kennedy Sophorn Yim Tricia Guinn Joe Nixon HeatherDeHart Chad Munsey Block: Group plans Election Day project at Missouri State University arena Continued from page 3 Jim Schmidt : The outdoor community laboratory fills a need downtown. $2,500 Estimate raised through donations and sponsorships for Better Block SGF projects with a lot on their plates since the pandem- ic’s arrival.  “What we’ve seen are our small busi- nesses have been so focused on trying to get through this current crisis that it’s been hard for them to be able to focus on new ini- tiatives like expanded outdoor dining,” he said. Druff’s project was made possible through donations by ForeverLawn and Meek’s Lumber Co., Jones said, as well as ordinances passed in the summer by City Council to allow businesses more flexibil- ity in using public spaces.  Getting organized Donations have been essen- tial for the organization, Jones said, as the group’s efforts are 100% by volunteers.  “We don’t have any kind of sustainable funding right now to have any staff or representa- tion,” he said.  Jones, along with Karen Spence, Robert Weddle, David Derossett and Marcus Aton, form the organization’s leadership team. The group is seeking approval from the Mis- souri secretary of state’s office on its articles of incorporation as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.  Spence, associate dean at Drury Universi- ty’s Hammons School of Architecture, said volunteers from college students to senior citizens are handling the projects – spaces for outdoor meetings, dining and activities, such as miniature golf. “It seems like businesses in the commu- nity know that these activities benefit ev- eryone and help with what they’re trying to do,” she said, noting cash, sponsorships and in-kind donations have funded the grass- roots effort.  Officials estimate roughly $2,500 in fi- nancial and material donations has been accrued since Better Block’s first project in September 2019. That installation was held in conjunction with Park(ing) Day, a nationally recognized event on the third Friday of ev- ery September since 2005. The one-day project transformed a parking spot on Walnut Street into a green space to show its value for people rather than cars.  Better Block SGF is an unof- ficial chapter of Dallas-based nonprofit Better Block Founda- tion, started in 2015 with the intent of rei- magining public spaces to improve the city’s quality of place. Its projects include creating a disc golf course at Oak Farms in Dallas and a mural for local business Southern Maid Donuts, according to its website. Jones said the Dallas organization in- spired him and gave approval to model the local group on it. Kansas City has the only official chapter at this time, he said. Safety in mind Improving safety also is part of Better Block’s goals, Spence said. The organi- zation partnered with the city on a tem- porary crosswalk at South Avenue and Pershing Street last fall to improve pedes- trian safety and traffic sight lines. Jones said the city is using some of the project’s ideas with the plan to permanently revise the intersection in the next year.  Safety has been front and center amid the pandemic, as resi- dents have sought more outdoor options in recent months, Jones said. That spurred this month’s creation of community laboratory space in front of the Park Central Branch Library. It provides an outdoor alternative to hosting in-person meetings downtown.  “We love to collaborate if at all possible with the downtown entities,” said Jim Schmidt, the Springfield-Greene County Library District’s associate director.  Schmidt said the co-lab fills a need for the downtown branch, which opened in 2008 next to The Coffee Ethic. “That’s one of the things we don’t have at the Park Central branch is a dedicated community room or conference room like we do at many of our other locations,” he said. “An outdoor conference or meeting area is a fantastic idea and a way to do so safely.” A sense of collaboration in the down- town community has been pervasive for the past decade or so, Schmidt said. “This is just another example of that – where we all try to do all we can to pro- mote the downtown area,” he said. While Spence and Jones said Better Block’s projects have focused on down- town, the group is willing to help all over Springfield. For exam- ple, an upcoming proj- ect dubbed Swing Vote will have a swingset on-site outside a poll- ing location at JQH Arena Nov. 3. Better Block Foundation did a similar project in 2019. “It’ll be set up on Election Day and just be a fun activity and photo op for people to show their participation as voters,” Jones said. “Hopefully, it’ll kind of lighten the mood of a very heavy election year.” Spence said Better Block is interested in outreach events and wants to be a resource for residents seeking to develop their own ideas to make Springfield a better place to live and work. “We’re not just limiting it to downtown interventions or something like that,” she said. “It’s anywhere that the community sees a need.”