diff --git a/makefiles/patches/help.mk b/makefiles/patches/help.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..778c948
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/patches/help.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# -*- makefile -*-
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Copyright 2017-2023 Open Networking Foundation
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ifdef VERBOSE
+  help :: help-patches
+else
+  help ::
+	@echo
+	@echo "[PATCHES] - helper on the road to python 3.10+ based testing"
+	@echo '  see also: help-patches'
+endif
+
+help-patches:
+	@echo
+	@echo "[PATCHES] - helper on the road to python 3.10+ based testing"
+	@echo "  patch-apply          Apply patches to the virtualenv directory"
+	@echo "  patch-create"
+	@echo "  patch-gather         Gather a list of potential patch sources"
+	@echo "  patch-init           Clone the virtualenv directory for patch creation."
+
+
+
+
+help-trailer ::
+	@echo "[SEE ALSO] patches-help"
+
+help-verbose ::
+	$(HIDE)$(MAKE) --no-print-directory help VERBOSE=1
+
+# [EOF]