It’s a typical morning at Patchwork.
Dee hands out shower supplies and socks in the main office, looking to see if she can meet special requests and joking with everyone.
“Dee, I’ve missed you!” one woman exclaims, happy to have Dee’s humor brighten her day. “You’re weird like me. It makes me feel normal when I come here!”
Many of our guests are experiencing various stresses in their lives, so it’s very true. A little bit of friendly, normal interaction can go a long way.
Meanwhile at the other end of Patchwork’s big room, another of our regulars plays the piano beautifully. It’s a moment of peace and joy in his day, and his joy spreads to the rest of us.
Sitting at the end of the piano keyboard, another of our regular coffee guys holds his nine-month-old great-granddaughter. She watches the piano player attentively and occasionally reaches out to touch a key. An unexpected family crisis has left this great-grandfather as one of the little girl’s caregivers, so now she is one of our regulars, too.
Helen shares her copy of the newspaper, handing the front page to one person, the classifieds to another, and working the crossword puzzle herself. She brews another pot of coffee and plates a few more pastries for our guests.
This is what community looks like at Patchwork. It’s just like the custom label says on the special Evansville Coffee Company Patchwork Blend that we serve up every morning: Flavors spanning the world of coffee and every style of roast, a true mélange of coffees somewhat recently roasted and combined to create a community where all beans belong without judgement or bias.
Welcome to Patchwork. Anyone is welcome to join us, even you!