Our Arts & Smarts children’s program is on break for the month of May, and Patchwork is open in the mornings only. Knowing that, you may think there is little happening around Patchwork right now, but you would be wrong.
We have many people dropping by to use our food pantry and in search of other assistance. Their stories and needs are varied and we try to provide whatever referrals or resources we can. Some are challenging, some are rewarding. All are treated with respect.
Shawn provides two examples from this month from her work as one of our Patchwork Office Assistants:
1. Yesterday, two women came in and said they had been on the street for two days and desperately needed help. One of them was having medical issues related to diabetes and said she hadn’t eaten in a day and needed food. Darlene was working in our food pantry and provided her with food and assisted her in using the microwave in the kitchen. One of the women found an uncle that she could stay with, but the other (with the medical condition) needed emergency housing. I called Susan at Aurora and she said she’d be by in about 15 minutes to meet with the woman and see what she could do to find a shelter. In the meantime, the woman was able to take a warm shower, brush her teeth, and find clean clothing to wear from our clothing closet. Susan met with her and found her a place at the United Caring Shelter’s Women’s Shelter. When the woman left, she thanked me over and over with tears in her eyes. She walked out of here looking like a thousand pounds had been lifted off her back. It felt like a successful day.
2. An elderly lady calls Patchwork looking for help painting her house. She says she has to have her house painted by a certain deadline or her insurance company is threatening to cancel her homeowners insurance. She bought paint and tried to paint the bottom part by herself, but said she cannot climb a ladder to reach the top. We contacted a local church-sponsored organization that has volunteers to help those with financial and physical hardships and they are putting her on their list for assistance. She was very grateful for our direction in finding the resources to help her.
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In separate Patchwork news, this week we were excited to hear that our Tower Restoration Project received the 2012 Preservation Award from the Preservation Alliance of Evansville.
The award was announced as part of Evansville Historic Preservation Month, which also includes a variety of events, tours, and speakers. One walking tour, “Highlights of the Washington Avenue District,” will depart from Patchwork’s Tower on Wednesday, May 23 at 6:00 pm. The tour will be led by Tom Loesch, is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. The tour will conclude at Billy Hedel’s studio where participants can view Billy’s drawings of Evansville architecture that illustrate a newly released brochure about the Washington Avenue Historic District. Copies of this brochure are available in many locations, including at Patchwork.