40 Years: Patchwork Central’s Ruby Anniversary

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In 2017, Patchwork Central celebrates 40 years of serving our neighborhood through flexible and innovative programming!

We’re excited to be planning some special events to celebrate, starting with our annual Soup, Salad, & Style event on Thursday, February 23 from noon-1:30 pm. Tickets cost $45 for individuals or $450 to reserve a table of 8. Purchase your ticket by sending a check to Patchwork Central, 100 Washington Ave., Evansville, IN 47713 or by following this link to purchase a ticket online through Eventbrite.

Looking to the future, we remain strong and will continue to listen to our neighbors and adapt to meet their needs. Looking back, we have impacted the lives of many thousands of people and our influence can be seen in businesses and organizations across the city.

As an indication of the people who come through Patchwork and the services we provide every year, here is a summary of the things we accomplished last year:

  • Our food pantry served 2406 individuals from 1326 households and distributed almost 22 tons of food which would make up approximately 28,000 meals.
  • 93 children and youth in grades 1-8 attended at least one day of Arts & Smarts activities. A total of 129 days of activities were offered, equaling 2271 individual afternoons of creativity, learning, and growth within a caring community of adults.
  • We logged approximately 7900 instances of hospitality (cups of coffee, phone usage, clothing, referrals to other agencies, etc.). This included 850 showers for individuals who didn’t have other access to shower facilities.
  • Our Bike Shop distributed 35 refurbished bicycles to people who relied on them for transportation, completed 35 major repairs for existing bike owners, and did numerous small repairs to keep bikes roadworthy for their owners.
  • Our Sozo Health Ministry provided 401 health encounters for 92 total clients. These included weekly health screenings, education, advocacy, non-emergency transportation, and spiritual care. Sozo and its coordinator John Rich were recognized with awards from Leadership Evansville, Deaconess Hospital, and the Courier & Press.
  • Several other community organizations were able to use our space for meetings and to provide community services.
  • Our gardens provided attractive green space in our neighborhood.
  • Many different people came together to find respect, safety, and support.

 

2 thoughts on “40 Years: Patchwork Central’s Ruby Anniversary

  1. Dear Friends,

    Forty years? Oh my — difficult to believe it has been four decades since the Doyles, Kimbroughs and Amersons began that odyssey together. We moved into homes on the near Eastside and dreamed of might become of our attempts to follow the spirit — to listen and learn before we leaped ahead. It is a joy to see the ways so much good continues, evolves, improves and excites ever new imagination.

    It is my plan to join you on February 23rd for the Soup, Salad and Style event. Unfortunately, Elaine will in all probability need to be in Chicago on that day caring for our grandsons there.

    On another note, Evansville will be our destination earlier that week as I am scheduled to be the Founders Day speaker at the University of Evansville on February 19th. And, Elaine and I have recently moved to Bloomington. So, I am looking forward many more trips to Evansville in the days ahead.

    Peace,

    Phil Amerson

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    1. It’s great to hear from you, Phil, and we’ll look forward to seeing you on the 23rd. I also shared your note with the Community, who were interested to know you’d moved and would be speaking at UE. –Amy

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