Community
Patchwork represents an extremely varied group of people—a full spectrum of ages, backgrounds, races, economic standings, political viewpoints, and life experiences, to name a few.
The VS experience here revolves around several struggling neighborhoods surrounding Patchwork near downtown Evansville. Volunteers live here, work here, and worship here. They participate daily in community—whether it’s the community of the VS unit, the community of their neighbors and the people they serve, the community of Patchwork’s staff, or Patchwork’s Worship Community.
Patchwork provides a unique flexibility for VSers to use, discover, and develop their skills, gifts, and interests. Ideal candidates for service in Evansville include self-starters who enjoy taking a project and running with it, individuals interested in challenging themselves to relate to a very diverse group of people, and those looking for a place where they can put diverse interests to work.
The VS unit is located on the second floor of a Victorian home—an easy commute for VSers working at Patchwork because it’s just across the parking lot from your job. The first floor of the building houses an organic food co-op. VSers also enjoy access to Patchwork’s large community garden, bike repair studio, and art studio.
Evansville is a small Midwestern city with Southern charm that is located on the Ohio River. There is a greenway bike path along the river and its tributaries, many local parks, and a state park just across the Ohio River.
Evansville has a top-rated public library system, an active arts community, and two universities. There are farmers’ markets, a pleasant downtown, Evansville Otters baseball games at Bosse Field (the third oldest ballpark in the US), and the Fall Festival (the second largest street festival in the US where you can find seven blocks of fried food on sticks). Across the Ohio River, the city of Henderson, Kentucky holds annual bluegrass and blues festivals.
Service
Most Evansville VSers work directly for Patchwork, but there are additional work opportunities available through Patchwork’s community partners. Positions at Patchwork are flexible to match each individual’s interests with the needs of the organization. Patchwork positions include:
- Urban Gardener
- Arts & Smarts Children’s Program Assistant
- Bike Studio Coordinator
- Arts & Communications Assistant
- Volunteer Coordinator
Additional placements outside of Patchwork may include:
- Work at a transitional housing center for women who have experienced addiction
- Work at a homelessness advocacy organization
- Work at the organic food co-op
- Work at another community organization with ties to Patchwork