Highlights of Our Work – Patrons for Peace Project

Click the year below to view our news highlights.

2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a new wave of problems for Laurel’s unhoused population. We are seeking unique ways to help the most vulnerable population in Laurel. Daily we hand out masks, arrange for transportation, assist with housing and food needs.

We were able to help three men go into treatment programs for chemical dependency. After they completed the program they were placed in halfway houses where they will be financially supported for six months. One of the men has been referred for psychiatric treatment.

Two vulnerable adults were removed from a dangerous situation with police backup assisting us. Our driver (Bob Reilly) was on the scene to transport them to safety. They both have new places to live.

Four clients were put into a hotel on a short-term basis while we waited for a bed at Safe Journey House for psychiatric stabilization.

Phones were purchased for six clients. This way all the clients can be followed by a psychiatric team from QCI Behavioral Health.

An uninsured woman was transported by our driver for an emergency ophthalmology appointment. We are fortunate this doctor was willing to see her for an evaluation. We are going to help her and work on a disability application for her.
2019

Patrons for Peace Project continues to work with very vulnerable clients in Laurel helping them to get needed services. One man has declined help for two years due to fear and paranoia. Members of the organization continued to try to help this individual in the streets of Laurel, never giving up.

Sometimes it involved buying a meal or helping with a phone bill when he would be seen panhandling. Eventually this man said he would accept help. The man allowed us to get him his disability, housing and now has a mobile psychiatric team involved with his care.
2018

Patrons for Peace Project was honored to help a man die with dignity and the love of his family surrounding him. He was unhoused and terminally ill with no ID or insurance. He was sent to the hospital in an ambulance. His dying wish was that we find his children. He had carried a photo of his children around for two decades. Their names were written on the photos. With the help of a private detective, his children were found. We advocated for a charity hospice bed. His children were by his side when he left this world.
2017

Patrons for Peace Project helped a woman who lived in a tent who had a fractured her ankle. We purchased a Knee Scooter for her. This permitted her to move around a little bit. We paid for a hotel room during her long-term convalesces. Eventually, we applied for and she was awarded disability benefits.
2016

Patrons for Peace Project helped a man navigate through the judicial system with a pro-bono lawyer regarding some non-violent misdemeanor charges. Ultimately the cases were favorably resolved. This allowed the client to finally gain employment. We purchased him a phone and connected him with QCI Behavioral Health so he could receive the necessary services – all increasing the likelihood of future job retention.

We also identified an unhoused veteran with a brain injury. It was a tragic situation because he was eligible for benefits, but due to his brain injury, his cognitive issues impeded him applying for and receiving help. Patrons for Peace arranged for transportation to all his many appointments. We paid for neuro-cognitive testing with a psychologist to document his brain injury. Ultimately, we were able to get him disability, housing, and VA benefits.
2015

At the request of a local unhoused man, Patrons for Peace Project hired a private detective to find his sister, from whom he had been estranged for more than 12 years. He fled his family home feeling ashamed from a situation centering around finances. He got on a Greyhound bus, dropped out of society, and was living on the streets of Laurel. We were able to locate his sister on the other side of the country and a heartwarming reunion took place after we transported him home.
2014

Patrons for Peace Project was able to secure a charity bed from a treatment center and admit a man who had been on the street, unhoused for over 14 years. The treatment center worked with us since the man had lost most of his identification documents. Once he finished his inpatient treatment, we then assisted him and paid for three months’ rent in the halfway house until he secured a job and could pay his own rent.
2013

Patrons for Peace Project helped develop and manage a home makeover project which ultimately assisted in helping a young, disabled man live comfortably in his home. The project involved renovating the existing dwelling and constructing a large bedroom and handicapped accessible bath for this young man.