Some weeks are hard around Patchwork, and this was one of them.
Drug overdoses. Suicidal thoughts. Extreme mental illness. Long-term homelessness. Trauma. Serious physical illnesses that go unaddressed. Anxiety. Severely limited options.
Quite a few of the people who come to Patchwork during our hospitality time are experiencing very difficult times in their lives. Sometimes the severity of their needs and the lack of resources to meet those needs feel overwhelming.
We strive to be a welcoming and friendly place for everyone who comes to us. We strive to interact with every guest with compassion and care. We strive to treat everyone as a fellow human being. We meet many people and hear the stories behind their struggles. It can be a challenge.
Weeks like this make me grateful for Patchwork’s excellent staff and volunteers. They do their jobs with care and skill, even in challenging circumstances. If it wasn’t for such a solid team, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.
Keep us all in your thoughts, along with the folks who work for our community partners who experience many of the same challenges that we do.
This week was rough, but we’ll be back again next week, just like usual, to be here for our community.