Again August comes and Patchwork is open only in the mornings from 8:30-Noon. You might think it would be very slow around here, but it’s not.
“I thought last week was going to be really nice and quiet,” Dee told me this week. “It wasn’t. I had a man in the office in tears and looking for help. I had people in both showers. I had stuff stacked 
up everywhere.”
Then our day got busy again. Several people came to Patchwork after a nearby agency got so busy they ran out of appointment times to meet with people for the day. Most of the individuals who came from them to us only needed referrals for our food pantry, so Dee collected information and called for the referrals herself so they wouldn’t go without food. One woman was looking for help with rent, her husband having passed away unexpectedly. A former children’s program participant came to use our fax machine, bringing her two nieces in tow. It will only be a year before one niece is old enough to join the Arts & Smarts program herself. The niece thanked me for showing her a photo of her mother that’s hanging in the hall outside my office. Then she and her sister went back to looking at the fish tank.
August began with our Back to School Sale which helped families get the school supplies that their children need when school starts. We sell bags of supplies tailored toward each grade level K-5 that include most everything required by EVSC at extremely reduced rates.
Patchwork’s food pantry has been very busy. In July we filled food orders for a record 200+ individuals from more than 100 households.
Our showers have also been busy. One day there were nine showers in one morning. In hot weather, people are grateful for a chance to wash away the sweat and feel clean again. Just today, a family of four came in for showers.
And, we’ve had one final day of summer activities for children: a group from Lincoln Elementary visited on Monday for an experience of art at Patchwork.
If you stop by in the afternoon and find our building closed and quiet, you might think that there isn’t much going on. Don’t be deceived!