Being a good neighbor through Hunger, Housing, & Health
Helping through Hunger, Housing, & Health
Every neighbor has a face, a name, and a story. Every child in our community has the potential to succeed. Every family can live with stability and hope. But our neighbors need help to access the resources and tools to break the cycle of poverty. Shepherd is that good neighbor who walks alongside our neighbors, helping to bridge the gaps, providing access, and offering kindness through authentic relationships.
Shepherd is Re-Neighboring Our Hood.
Three areas where Shepherd is a good neighbor – hunger, housing, and health – are interwoven needs, where one directly impacts the others. As Shepherd works to meet a need(s), we build relationships with our neighbors and help meet the root causes of their poverty, creating a sustainable life for themselves, their families, and the community.
How is Shepherd Feeding the Hungry?
Food is a way Shepherd connects with our neighbors and allows us to learn their stories and what is causing their food insecurities. We connect our neighbors to other program areas (job training, housing, education, health resources, etc.) and help them develop the tools and resources they need to no longer need food assistance. Shepherd feeds our hungry with regular access to healthy food through:
• Weekly Food Pantry
• Bi-Monthly Mobile Food Pantry
• Weekly Home Deliveries
• Holiday & School Break Boxes
• Shepherd Kitchen
• Weekend Food Packs
How is Shepherd Ensuring Stable Housing?
Many families consistently choose between rent, food, or gas. Neighbors cannot afford deposits, down payments, or ongoing rent alongside their current expenses. These increases also reduce availability of housing for our neighbors. Shepherd seeks to provide wraparound services to alleviate this burden so families can move toward stability. Shepherd ensures stable housing by bridging the gaps and challenges our neighbors face by:
Developing our own Center for Working Families (CWF) with a housing coordinator and financial coach who walk alongside our neighbors and help them take the next steps, build a budget, and attend classes to improve their housing circumstances.
Utilizing compassionate assistance programs to help neighbors apply for and receive assistance to pay rent and utility costs.
How is Shepherd Supporting Physical and Mental Health?
Neighbors living in poverty face an epidemic of loneliness. Our neighbors’ most significant challenge to living healthy – physically and mentally – is accessibility, specifically to transportation to or from appointments, affordable and quality healthcare, and asking for help regarding mental health. Shepherd supports physical and mental health through:
• On-site free counseling
• Celebrate Recovery addiction support group
• Delivery of prescriptions to neighbors’ homes
• Hosting Vaccination Clinics
• Shalom Project connects with our neighbors, helping mitigate repeat 9-1-1 calls and build relationships
When Shepherd comes alongside our neighbors, we help meet their immediate needs as well as help them learn and grow to transform their circumstances and mindsets to overcome the barriers themselves. Won’t you join Shepherd as we continue to Re-Neighbor Our Hood by feeding the hungry, ensuring stable housing, and supporting physical and mental health, helping our neighbors on their journey of hope and transformation?
Use the form below, or click here to download and print a mailable donation form.
