Busy Mornings at Patchwork

The weather is beautiful in Evansville and spring has arrived. With the warmer weather, we’ve seen increased numbers of visitors during Patchwork’s Neighborhood Hospitality time. Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am-noon, you will find our building busy.

On some recent mornings, our Meetinghouse has held nearly 40 people! Our increased morning traffic can also be measured in the amount of coffee brewed: an average of almost 8 pots per day in the last two weeks (Thank you Evansville Coffee Company for keeping us stocked!). Or it can be measured in the number of showers: an average of 11 per day with as many as 15 on several recent days (Enough to wipe out our towel supply before the week is out!).

Our visitors are people who are drinking coffee, eating some snacks, waiting for showers, picking up fresh produce or bread, using the phone, having their blood pressure checked and their health questions answered, or waiting for bicycle repairs to be completed. Some meet up with friends. Some meet up with caseworkers. Most importantly, all of them connect to other people as they chat with their friends, our volunteers, and our staff.

We hope it is an opportunity for everyone to have a moment of peace and humanity. Occasionally, one of our guests will add to that sense of peace by playing Patchwork’s piano. Lately, we’ve had several volunteers bring special, homemade snacks for the group–delicious coffeecake, ham and bean soup, pancakes. It’s a pleasant reminder of home for many people who could surely use it.

On these days, we are grateful for all of our volunteers and staff who help make everyone feel comfortable and who make sure everyone is adhering to our standard of respect for all. Some days may be challenging and even a little overwhelming, but there is nowhere in Evansville that you will find a similar space. Our guests recognize this and say thank you. They also help out around the building where they can.

We are always in need of travel size toiletries (particularly shampoo, lotion, and deodorant) for the people who shower at Patchwork. We could also use sugar and creamer for our coffee service (we go through a LOT!). Additionally, we would welcome new Hospitality volunteers who can fill in when our regular volunteers are out of town. The job entails helping to serve the coffee and snacks and chatting with our guests. These volunteers go a long way in making everyone feel welcomed and helping everything run smoothly.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *