Word on the street: Here’s how Shepherd makes a difference in families’ lives Word-of-mouth is the oldest form of marketing in existence. And it’s still one of the most effective. When one person tells another person how someone or something improved their life, it resonates because it’s personal...
Hungry and in pain, the man was desperate for help. So he did what he knew to do: Call 911. A dispatcher dutifully sent an ambulance, even though the man’s needs were not immediately life threatening, because often there’s simply no one else to send. But this...
The lack of food, and especially the lack of healthy food, is a constant challenge for millions of American families even in the best of times. This year, as we all know, has been far from the best of times. Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic...
‘My mom has COVID-19,’ and other experiences Shepherd students have endured in the pandemic of 2020 They have been called Generation C. This year, as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, tens of millions of students, from preschools to universities, have had their lives, their studies,...
When coronavirus hit, Shepherd paramedic met vital needs on front lines of pandemic Shane Hardwick was already on the front lines, meeting neighbors’ health needs on Indianapolis’ near east side, when news broke this winter about a deadly new disease ravaging Wuhan, China. By early March, the...
A number of year ago I was teaching a Poverty 101 session and we were having a little Q & A at the end when I was asked what should have been a simple question. The woman wanted to know what our goal was in...
Sometimes someone says something that suddenly shifts your way of thinking. And changes how you view the people around you. Take, for example, a recent conversation with Donna Alexander, Shepherd Community Center’s director of volunteers. As we talked about a range of volunteer opportunities, Alexander repeatedly...
I want to share with you a story from a few of our staff members, and how they helped our neighbors during the recent cold snaps. While driving through the neighborhood and distributing blankets, we noticed a lady and her elementary-aged daughter standing on the corner....
It is a challenging time! Giving is down in all sectors of the non-profit world. Governments are talking about taxing non-profits. Many of our families are dealing with major life challenges. Yet I have hope. Why? Because money doesn’t define us. The government will do what it wants, and...
Today, July 31st is the 23rd anniversary of my family moving to Indianapolis to join the work at Shepherd Community Center. We have fallen in love with our neighbors. It has been our privilege to serve with our neighbors to make the near Eastside a better...
