This week marks the beginning of a new year of Arts & Smarts activities. We anticipate that it will be another good one filled with many wonderful children, parents, staff, and volunteers. Of course we’ll keep you posted!
Our Arts & Smarts program strives to provide much needed support for children during the after school time. Giving them enriching opportunities in their time between school and family, we help them reach their God-given potential:
- By providing them with a community of committed and caring adults
- By helping them do better in and feel better about school
- By helping them to explore their interests and by supporting these interests
- By engaging them in the arts
- And by challenging them to think of positive futures for themselves.
Meanwhile, our other services to the community continue–and keep us very busy! We’re not sure exactly why the numbers have increased lately, but we’ve been providing more and more showers to people who have no other access to shower facilities—whether it’s because they’re homeless or because they don’t have water in their homes. Our food pantry has also stayed busy in the last couple months with the number of individuals and households served up dramatically. In addition, there has been a constant stream of people coming through our building looking for other assistance, checking through our small “free area”, or visiting with friends over a cup of coffee and a donut.
Because all of this is offered to the community at no cost, Patchwork depends on donations to be able to keep doing what we do. This fall, we’re hosting two events to help us raise these funds. We hope we’ll see you at them!
First will be Celebrate! An evening of poetry with Jenny Browne and Marcus Wicker on Saturday, October 12 starting at 6:30 pm. Admission is $30. Both poets are nationally known and their readings will include selections from their forthcoming books. Jenny is an Evansville native who now lives in San Antonio, Texas. Her connection to Patchwork began in 1994 when she worked with Alan in the Neighborhood Economic Development Center. Marcus is an area transplant and an English professor at USI. The evening will also celebrate Patchwork’s newly renovated Tower.
Patchwork’s annual Holiday Sale will follow on Saturday, November 9 from 9:00 am-3:00 pm. It’s a great opportunity to find unique, handcrafted gifts for your family (or maybe yourself!).
Patchwork Central 